Tue, August 05, 2008
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The piped music for this Tai Chi session may soon be competing with noisy chanting.
Ritan Park is one of three Beijing parks designated for demonstrations during the Olympics.
"Political, religious or racial propaganda" at Olympic sites is banned and past games have seen designated "protest pens".
(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) MR. LI, BEIJING RESIDENT, SAYING:
"It is about human rights. If they want to hold demonstrations, they demonstrate. Especially for the foreigners, if they want to demonstrate, they will do that."
Activists advocating for a range of issues, from China's policies in Tibet to its record on media freedom, have long used the awarding of the Olympics to Beijing as a platform to press their causes.
A 100,000-strong security force on hand to deal with terrorism or anti-government protests during the Olympics and the move comes as a surprise to some in host China where Communist leaders frown on public demonstrations.
The 200-hectare park, located in the embassy area in downtown Beijing, is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts and some say they won't be put off by its new use.
(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) MR. ZHANG, BEIJING RESIDENT, SAYING:
"It is the business of the government, and it has nothing to do with us. I don't know what to say about it. The government will take care of it, we just exercise."
Ritan Park, one of the oldest parks in Beijing, was originally built as a sacrificial altar in 1530 in the Ming dynasty and was opened to the public in the 1970s.
