On March 24th the Olympic flame will be lit in Greece. Between then and August 8th, the Olympic torch will travel the world, making one stop in North America on April 9th. The USOC chose San Francisco, location of the U.S.’ oldest Chinatown and one of the largest in North America, home of many Olympians, and as yet unsuccessful bidder for Olympic host, as the sole visit for the flame. They claim to have “absolutely anticipated” the fact that San Francisco is also, as the Chronicle politely puts it, “known worldwide for its spirit of protest and dissent.” But I’m not sure if they truly thought through how spirited this protest and dissent may be, as the USOC also said that no one has protested at a U.S. torch run before. The city is currently keeping the details of route and time secret and denying permits for demonstrations. They will instead set aside “free-speech zones.” I think we’ll be seeing torch bearers with a close security detail.