Police and security forces were mobilized at each leg of the relay to protect the flame, lit last month in Olympia, Greece. The noisy protests have become the hottest news worldwide, casting a long shadow on the Beijing Olympics four months from now.

The development was quite an embarrassment for Beijing, which has spent seven years and US$40 billion to prepare for its “coming out party” to showcase its “peaceful rising” and how much it has changed and achieved since its opening-up to the outside world 30 years ago.

The torch relay is a grand warm-up to the Games, which could be the “grandest ever.” It’s hard for people around the world not to be impressed by the spectacular job done by the Beijing Organizing Committee which was determined to impress the world with a “New Beijing” and “New Olympics.”

But all of a sudden, the project has gone sour. A looming crisis is testing the wisdom and mettle of the leadership in Beijing.

The violent protests in Tibet on March 14 have been spreading at a time when the preparations for the Olympics entered the final stage. On March 24, 10 days after the Tibetan riot and crackdown, more trouble began to emerge. The Olympic Torch Lighting Ceremonies in ancient Olympia, Greece, were disrupted by three protesters from Reporters Without Borders.

That was the beginning of a nightmare that has haunted the subsequent torch relay around the world.

Disruptions in London, Paris and San Francisco this week were so serious that the International Olympic Committee even considered to cut short or cancel the overseas legs of the relay. The torch’s “Journey of Harmony” has become a journey of chaos, turning a dream into a nightmare.

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