UK Police, protesters scuffle during London torch run

Officials made unscheduled changes to the relay route to avoid a number of stunts from activists looking to disrupt the procession, London's Metropolitan Police said.

The procession was marred by outbursts from demonstrators who planned to make a point about China and what they describe as the country's weak human rights record. Activists are protesting the 2008 Summer Olympics because they are being held in Beijing.

The disruptions began from the very beginning of the relay as protesters attempted to board a bus as Steve Redgrave, a five-time Olympic gold medallist, launched the procession at Wembley Stadium.

Later, in west London, police had to briefly stop the procession as a demonstrator tried to grab the torch from a TV presenter. Another activist tried to put out the flame with what appeared to be a fire extinguisher.

At one point, the torch had to be transported by bus instead because about 100 activists began to surround him.

Protesting for a free Tibet

Just a few kilometers down the route the procession was met with several dozens of protesters chanting "Free Tibet!" and "China, talk to Dalai Lama!"

Dozens of Chinese supporters of the Olympics were also there, waving large flags of China outside the British Museum.

Protests have marked the torch relay route since the start of its journey from Ancient Olympia in Greece to Beijing, host of the 2008 summer Olympics.

The Metropolitan Police said they know of six organizations who are involved in the protests including the Free Tibet campaign, the spiritual group Falun Gong and an organization pushing for democracy in Myanmar.

About 2,000 police officers have been assigned to the route to deal with potential disruptions.

Police Cmdr. Jo Kaye said incidents along the route were minor.

"It's going to be a long day but the torch is progressing on schedule," Kaye told British Broadcasting Corp. television.

Fu Ying, the Chinese ambassador to Britain, managed to carry the Olympic torch unhindered before passing it along to the next torchbearer.

He took a different route than was originally scheduled because a large group of demonstrators had gathered at the first location. He emerged unscathed in the heart of London's Chinatown.

Athletes among torchbearers

Ying said earlier the Olympics should be viewed as a sporting event and not as a stage for airing political grievances.

"There's a lot more awareness about the influence of politics and there are better means for solving political problems,'' Ambassador Fu Ying told the British Broadcasting Corp. last week. "You don't solve them on the football ground; you don't solve them in the swimming pool.''

London has the largest Chinese community in Europe with more than 80,000 members.

"The Olympic games are very important for all Chinese. In Chinatown, everyone is very anxious to see the torch pass,'' said London Chinese Community Center spokesperson Annie Wu. "We hope it goes smoothly.''

Dozens of athletes, celebrities and dignitaries were at the procession in London as a symbolic gesture to welcome the Olympic games into their city which will host the event in 2012.

"There was definitely a bit of an edge," British tennis player Tim Henman, one of the torchbearers, told The Associated Press.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown greeted the torch as it traveled past his home on 10 Downing Street on its way to Greenwich in the southeastern side of the city.

He did not handle the torch himself but watched as Olympic gold medalist Denise Lewis handed it to Paralympic hopeful Ali Jawad.

"It is also important to recognize, when you ask the question about the Olympic torch, that the Dalai Lama himself has said that he does not want to see a boycott of the Olympics,'' Brown said Saturday.

This is the longest global torch relay in the history of the Olympics. The journey is meant to highlight China's growing economic and political power.

In London, 80 people were to help carry the torch through the city including two-time Olympic gold medal runner Kelly Holmes and violinist Vanessa Mae.

However, several people refused to take part in the procession in protest of China's human rights record.

Britain's top badminton player Richard Vaughan said he would not participate because he thinks China should be doing more to stop violence in the Sudanese region of Darfur.

Protests are expected to continue throughout the torch relay as it reaches Paris, San Francisco, New Delhi in its 21-stop, six-continent global tour. It will arrive on mainland China on May 4.

The torch arrived in London on Saturday after being flown in from St. Petersburg, Russia, where some of the city's most renowned athletes helped carry the Olympic flame.

With files from the Associated Press