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France's Barber against any protests in Beijing
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-05-02 19:23

 

PARIS -- Two-times heptathlon and long jump world champion Eunice Barber of France says she is against any form of protest at this year's Beijing Olympics.

Barber said she disagreed with talk of a boycott of the opening ceremony and French athletes' use of a badge during last month's Olympic torch relay to show concern for China's human rights record.

"I am against the boycott, I am against the badge," Barber told sports daily L'Equipe on Friday.

"Boycott is not for the athletes. What we have to boycott are the people signing million of euros in business contracts."

She said athletes wanting to campaign about human rights during the Games were "hypocrites".

"France has no lesson to give to China. There are so many Blacks and Arabs who get burnt up in France and the so-called humanitarians don't stand up (for them)," she said.

"Do you understand these people who call themselves humanitarians and who are violent with those carrying the torch?" she added, referring to Chinese paralympic fencer Jin Jing, who had to shield the Olympic torch from protesters in Paris.

Barber, who was born in Sierra Leone and acquired French citizenship in 1999, once complained she had been a victim of police brutality and racist abuse when arrested for driving on a closed road outside Paris.

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