People

Richard Gere speaks out

ANCHOR: Actor Richard Gere, a longtime advocate for Tibet, is urging world leaders
to acknowledge human rights abuses by China. But he also says he is not calling nations
to boycott the Beijing Olympics.
[Richard Gere, actor]: 
"I do think it is important for national leaders to acknowledge
the situation and not go blindly into China and the pomp and circumstance of
the party, celebrating China, without acknowledging there are deep problems
here."
Tibet demonstrators rallied in the streets on San Francisco during the
day to protest against China's treatment of Tibet. 
Protesters in London and Paris disrupted the Olympics' global torch
relay this week to protest against China's clampdown in Tibet. 
San Francisco, which has a large Asian population, is the only U.S.
city to host the Olympic torch this year and authorities are bracing for a
series of additional protests.