With the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin approaching next week, nutjob activists are already making headlines by interfering with the weeks-long relay run of the Olympic torch to the site of the games.The Independent reports:

The torch has been involved in 33 incidents staged by anarchists and anti-globalisation activists since it left Rome on 8 December on its way to Turin.

The Guardian put it at 36 a week ago, and says most of the incidents have been inspired by anti-globalist sentiment toward Coca-Cola, a sponsor of the games.

One incident that has attracted worldwide attention occured recently in the northern Italy town of Trent.

Eleanora Berlanda, the Italian 1,500 metres champion runner, was pounding the streets ...bearing the torch when eight protesters, their faces hidden by scarves, burst through barriers along her route and grabbed at it. Ms Berlanda tried to fend them off, but was soon overwhelmed and gave up. Four of her attackers seized the torch and held it aloft. Police intervened and the flame was handed back to the runner...Four of the protesters escaped, but the other four were arrested and taken to a local police station, where an angry group of anarchists gathered outside in solidarity. The anarchists were booed and jeered by the crowd who had gathered to watch the progress of the flame. Some bystanders shouted "buffoni, buffoni," (buffoons) as the anarchists were led away.

Two of the buffoni have already been fined.

Three members of the U.S. military got to participate in the torch relay later, carrying it toward Fontanafredda. Nobody grabbed anything out of their hands.

Reuters reports Winter Olympics '06 promotions by organizers, and ticket sales have been lagging. But that all sorts of other things could go wrong, as well.

Up to 30,000-strong marches through the valley of Val di Susa, which connects the Olympic venues, have also added political worries to the event. Residents and environmentalists oppose the planned construction of a high-speed railway link between Italy and France that would cut through the valley. There have been violent clashes between some of the protesters and police.

Finally, metal workers in Turin have threatened to protest on the narrow, twisting Alpine roads to the venues if their demands in a wage dispute are not met, newspapers have reported. Such a move could bring much of the Games to a standstill. The roads linking ski resorts such as Sestriere, the bobsleigh track at Cesana and Turin are vulnerable to traffic jams, and security checks and bad weather could cause further delays. The International Olympic Committee warned TOROC (the local organizing committee) during its last visit in November that it would have to improve its transport plan, making sure visitors came prepared. TOROC is launching a local campaign telling drivers to switch to public transport. It remains to be seen whether the message reaches foreign visitors.

Or whether the ground transport workers go on strike. USA Today reports there's a "strike truce" commitment from local unions in Turin during the Games, but that Alitalia pilots and flight attendants have already announced a 24-hour strike on the first day Feb. 10. Is there anyone who can make the Italian trains run on time?

TECHNORATI TAGS: WINTER OLYMPICS, TURIN, PROTEST, TORCH, COCA-COLA, HIGH-SPEED RAIL, STRIKES, ALITALIA

Posted by Matt Rosenberg at January 26, 2006 05:59 PM