Olympic torch flames on despite protest

A solitary protester breached security to protest as the Olympic Torch was officially lit. China's Olympic chief Liu Qi was speaking when the protester ran up behind him. Liu Qi continued to make his speech in Chinese.

The torch will now begin its 130-day, 137,000-kilo meters (85,000-miles) journey. The journey, from the site of ancient Olympia in Greece to Beijing, China, is the longest ever in Olympic history. Alexandros Nikolaidis, a Greek athlete who won a silver medal in taekwondo at the 2004 Olympics, carried the flame for the first mile passing it over to China's Olympic swimming gold medalist, Luo Xuejuan. Another 603 bearers will run the torch through Greece, culminating in Athens on March 30, where the torch will be handed over to China for a flight to Beijing. The flame will then move around the world through April. At the beginning of May, it begins a three-month trek through at least 111 Chinese cities in more than 30 provinces and regions. However, in June, when it is scheduled to journey through Tibet, it will possibly be the target of more protests. Reporters Without Borders, a France-based group that seeks to protect journalists around the world, claimed responsibility for the protest.