What a waste.

The Olympic torch’s run through San Francisco was both a big letdown and a waste of resources. What was the cost for this Olympic fiasco?

Following the opening ceremonies at McCovey Cove, the torch was supposed to go up the Embarcadero to Fisherman’s Wharf and back to Justin Herman Plaza.

Instead, the torch was bused to Van Ness Avenue where it went north to Bay Street and Marina Boulevard and then onto Doyle Drive near the Golden Gate Bridge.

Apparently, officials decided to change the plan at the last minute because the original route was too high profile.

Well, duh.

People congregated along the advertised route. This bait-and-switch was pathetic.

Was the route announced on April 1 for a reason? Was this event nothing but an April Fool’s joke all along?

It was no surprise to see protesters lined up to vocally oppose the torch as it passed, but they weren’t the only ones there. Thousands of people also were there hoping to see the torch as it passed.

How often does the Olympic torch come to town? People wanted to see this event and instead Mayor Gavin Newsom and San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong duped the people of San Francisco to avoid the protests.

The Chinese government needs to understand that the Olympics has always been a political event and being host means great scrutiny.

The Chinese government has stuck its head in the sand.

Most of the western world lives in societies where free speech is allowed. China may suppress free speech and dissenters in its own country, but it cannot do it here.

In many ways, the city of San Francisco suppressed their own free speech by changing the route and keeping it secret. It acted like China.

The torch should never have come here. It was a waste of everyone’s time.

There’s no point in having this ritual if the torch spends the majority of its time hidden in cars and hotel rooms.

At this point, the torch should just head straight to China.

There have been more than enough examples of how unpopular China is in the world.

Just end this parade of crap.