The Olympic torch has been handed over to Chinese officials at a ceremony in Athens, amid scuffles between police and pro-Tibet protesters.

A small group of demonstrators tried to stop the torch from reaching the stadium where it was to be transferred.

Thousands gathered to watch as the flame was used to light a lamp, which will now be flown to China.

The torch's passage through Greece has been dogged by protests on human rights and Tibet.

 

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

However,  the Panathanaikos stadium where the ceremony took place was half empty and the majority of the audience present was made up of Chinese spectators.

In addition the Greek government banned foreign media from covering the  final Greek leg of the Olympic torch's journey according to CNN.

Only the State run NET TV station carried live footage of the ceremony today in Greece. In stark contrast to the Greece's mainstream media's mostly positive coverage of the Olympic torch relay the Greek blogosphere has been been awash with negative comments over the government's handling of protests by human rights activists.

The Olympic torch's arrival in the cities of Olympia, Thessaloniki, Veroia and Athens were all dogged by protests, most of which were not reported by Greek state run media.