Olympic opportunity

China | As the 2008 games bring attention to China, activists hope to shine a spotlight on the country's human-rights abuses | Priya Abraham

China expects to spend $40 billion on Olympic venues and infrastructure—more than any host before it. Architectural wonders are sprouting around Beijing: the Bird's Nest, a 91,000-seat stadium; the Egg, a domed theater; and the Water Cube, a swimming venue named for its water-drop-effect windows. Human- and political-rights groups, though, are anticipating an Olympic-sized platform to air their grievances. They are portraying Olympic rings as handcuffs and launching torch relays to commemorate mass slaughter.

One such protest began in the early hours of Aug. 7. Melanie Raoul and fellow activists went to the Great Wall of China carrying backpacks stuffed with rope, anchors, and harnesses. Two Canadians, one Briton, and three Americans all wanted to arrive early, around 7 a.m., before the crowds came. Two positioned themselves at ground level with a video camera pointed up, in order to film what happened next.