Several protesters are arrested in Beijing for supposedly illegal demonstrations, displaying the Tibetan flag, etc. They are alternately given free KFC fried chicken and screamed at by cops. Eventually they are told to leave immediately, and that they must pay for their plane tickets themselves. The detainees refuse. And then:
"About seven hours after being picked up, Hocevar and five others were marched to a plane to New York. Although they also refused to purchase tickets, police simply took their wallets, extracted their bank and credit cards, and used them to complete the purchases. "I have reported my card stolen to the bank," Hocevar said. "I will contest the charges."
Good for him.
Dictatorships always find new ways to oppress. But it's good that the Olympics allow us, also, to have a little window into this Chinese version of a dictatorship. It reminds us of what totalitarianism is. We can never have too many reminders.
