Is dousing the Olympic torch a crime (or a tort)?

On the Olympic torch's path around the world to the site of the 2008 summer Olympics, the torch has been a target of protests directed at the repressive actions of the competition's host government. China's recent crackdown on Tibetan monks has been a subject of particular concern for demonstrators, but one suspects that even without recent events, China's history (and continuing practice) of human rights violations would have spurred demonstrations.

Protesters' efforts to douse the Olympic flame -- successful several times over -- led to the amusing scene of the torch being transferred along its route inside a bus (surrounded by a phalanx of motorcycle rollerblade police) (pictured at right).

"Using the torch this way is almost a crime," said the Vice President of the International Olympics Committee, Gunilla Lindberg. I'm curious why the IOC doesn't think it is a crime. Why "almost"? I think it's also safe to say that it's a tort -- assault -- in that the person carrying the torch certainly has reason to be apprehensive of imminent offensive contact when a protestor tosses a bucket of water or a burlap bag or sprays a fire extinguisher in the torch's direction.

Posted in: