Olympic torch relay scaled back after quake

BEIJING -- The Olympic torch relay will be simplified, downscaled and open with a minute of silence Wednesday when a leg starts in the southeastern city of Ruijin, a symbolic gesture to thousands who died in a massive earthquake in central China.

The announcement Tuesday by Beijing Olympic organizers was a reversal of their earlier indication that there would be no changes to the relay. This came in the face of mounting pressure on Chinese-language websites and blogs, which overwhelmingly favored some kind of moratorium -- either now or next month when the torch enters Sichuan province.

More than 12,000 people are reported dead in Sichuan province, at the epicenter of the quake. The torch is due to arrive June 13 in the sprawling city of Chongqing and enter neighboring Sichuan two days later.

"The torch relay will be based on the principle of security comes first," organizing committee spokesman Sun Wiede said. "We will reduce the scope of the torch relay. We will simplify the procedures. We will focus on simplicity."

Sun said ceremony would be reduced with fewer speeches and less pomp. He said the somber relay would probably last until the torch reached the earthquake ravished areas, with people along relay routes asked to make donations to help quake victims.

"For how long this goes on depends on the disaster relief work," Sun said.

The IOC said Tuesday it was donating $1 million to help the earthquake victims.

The torch relay means little after a 7.9 earthquake leaves parts of China destroyed. (Getty Images)

After a chaos-filled month abroad, with pro-Tibet protests at half the stops and shortened routes at others, the Olympic torch returned May 4 to mainland China. It has been greeted by tight security and enthusiastic crowds, the public relations image organizers are seeking from the Olympics as China tries to show its overwhelming economic growth in the last three decades.

Earlier on Tuesday, officials suggested there would be no changes to the relay.

"Right now we will continue to monitor the disaster situation," Li Zhanjun, director of the Beijing Olympic Media Center, said. "If there are no further developments in the disaster situation, then it will not affect the torch relay."

Organizers say the Olympics will be safe for the more than 500,000 foreign visitors expected.

"What I want to say to foreign visitors is that the Olympic games are safe, Beijing is safe and China is safe," said Zhang Jian, director of the organizing committee's project management office.

On the streets in Beijing, opinion seemed mixed about changes to the relay.