http://news.yam.com/afp/international/200804/20080420055437.html
不滿法國對奧運態度 中國城市出現反法示威
法新社╱張佑之 2008-04-20 01:05
(法新社北京十九日電)警方和目擊者指出,北京等中國若干大城市今天都有人群因法國對西藏問題以及北京奧運的態度,而對法國發動抗議。
中國三年來規模最大的這些仇外示威活動主要是針對家樂福超商的各地分店而發,因為某些中國人士指控,這個法國超商連鎖集團支持西藏,但該集團對此加以否認。
華中武漢市家樂福超市附近一家書店的店員說:「早上那兒聚集了幾百人,多半是年輕人,中午之前他們都走了。」
另一名消息人士根據武漢警方的報告說,最初示威人群有三百人,但在接近中午時,增加到了一萬人。
新華社報導,群眾在抗議時曾高喊「抵制家樂福」和「反對西藏獨立」等口號。
該社報導了北京、華東城市合肥與青島,西南城市昆明以及武漢的抗議情況。
這是法國與中國一九六四年建交以來,中國方面針對法國所出現的首次抗議風潮。
自奧運聖火在巴黎傳遞陷入混亂後,中國內部的反法情緒即不斷升高,當時支持藏獨的抗議群眾企圖自坐在輪椅上的擊劍選手金晶手中搶奪聖火。
這種情緒又因法國總統沙柯吉將他是否出席北京奧運開幕式與西藏人權是否有進展掛鉤,而更加激化。
新華社和目擊者指出,北京法國大使館和附近法國學校一帶,也爆發了規模較小的抗議行動。
目擊者說,在警方將相關地區封鎖之前,曾有大約十輛披上五星旗的汽車環繞著法國使館行駛。不久之後,一小群人手持標語牌,在法國學校前方聚集。
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080419/wl_afp/chinafranceunresttibetrightsoly2008_080419204408;_ylt=ArkEJWEo0MOvH3B8KGH.N7GQOrgF
Anti-French protests erupt across China
by Marianne Barriaux
Sat Apr 19, 4:44 PM ET
BEIJING (AFP) - Hundreds of Chinese protested Saturday in Beijing and several other big cities against France over its attitude towards Tibet and the Olympic Games, according to police and witnesses.
The largest anti-foreign demonstrations to hit China in three years mainly targeted branches of Carrefour, the French supermarket chain accused by some Chinese of supporting Tibet, an allegation it denies.
"There were a couple of hundred, mostly young people in the morning, and by noon they were gone," said an employee at a bookstore near one Carrefour outlet in the central city of Wuhan, asking not to be named.
Initially the demonstration involved 300, a separate source said quoting a Wuhan police report, but the number of protestors swelled as high as 10,000 towards noon.
AFP could not independently confirm the number, but photos posted on a web portal depicted huge crowds in front of a Carrefour in Wuhan, with one protestor carrying a French flag with the Nazi swastika painted on it.
At the protests, crowds chanted "Boycott Carrefour" and "Oppose Tibet independence," according to Xinhua, the state-run news agency.
It reported protests in Beijing, in the eastern cities of Hefei and Qingdao, in southwestern Kunming city, and in Wuhan.
They were the first Chinese protests specifically targeting France since Paris and Beijing established diplomatic relations in 1964.
Anti-French sentiment in China has been rising since the chaotic Paris leg of the Olympic torch relay, where pro-Tibet protesters tried to wrestle the flame from Jin Jing, a young wheelchair-bound fencer.
The resentment has been amplified by French President Nicolas Sarkozy linking his appearance at the Olympic Games opening ceremony to progress on human rights in Tibet, following China's crackdown in the region.
Smaller protests erupted in Beijing around the French Embassy and the nearby French School, Xinhua and other witnesses said.
About ten cars draped in Chinese flags drove around the embassy before the area was blocked by police, witnesses said.
A little later, a small group of Chinese people gathered in front of the school, holding placards, the witnesses said.
Previous outbursts of public anger aimed at foreign countries include 1999 demonstrations after US forces mistakenly bombed China's Belgrade embassy, and anti-Japan protests in 2005 triggered by a range of grievances.
On Saturday China repeated calls for its citizens to harness their patriotic feelings for the purposes of economic development, in a sign Beijing may be uncomfortable with a nationalist outburst over Tibet as the Olympics approach.
"We should turn our patriotic fervour into a common determination to ensure social stability, national development and rejuvenation," the People's Daily said in an editorial.
The editorial, which followed similar Xinhua opinion pieces, was summarised on prime-time TV news, ensuring the message would reach hundreds of millions.
The same TV programme reported the French ambassador to China Herve Ladsous was "regretful" for the disruption of the torch relay in Paris.
In Hefei on Saturday, the square where Carrefour is located was packed with people, a receptionist in a restaurant across the street told AFP.
"There are protestors and people who gathered to watch and show their support. Even crossovers and footpaths are packed with people," she said.
"Yesterday, there were many trucks in the parking lot of Carrefour and people standing on top of the trucks to protest."
A witness in Qingdao said there were a large number of demonstrators at a Carrefour on Friday and Saturday.
"Today, there are more people than yesterday joining in. With all those protestors, I wonder how anyone can still manage to buy stuff there," she said.
No injuries or arrests were reported at the demonstrations. AFP was unable to confirm if they were spontaneous or engineered by the government.
Violence in Tibet's capital Lhasa erupted on March 14 after four days of peaceful protests against 57 years of Chinese rule, and spread into neighbouring Tibetan-populated areas.
Exiled Tibetan leaders say more than 150 people have died in the government crackdown. China says Tibetan "rioters" have killed 18 civilians and two policemen.