London: Police scuffled with protesters as Olympians and celebrities carried the Olympic torch through snowy London during a chaotic relay on Sunday.
Demonstrators tried to board a relay bus as five-time Olympic gold medalist rower Steve Redgrave launched the 31-mile procession at Wembley Stadium. Three people were arrested, police said.
Later, in west London, another protester tried to grab the torch, forcing police to briefly stop the procession as officers moved in to grab the man. Another demonstrator tried to snuff out the flame with what appeared to be a fire extinguisher.
A few miles down the route, dozens of Chinese supporters of the Olympics were waving large China flags outside the British Museum. Around the corner, several dozen protesters were chanting ''Free Tibet.''
Activists demonstrating China's human rights record and a recent crackdown on Tibet have been protesting along the torch route since the start of the flame's 85,000-mile odyssey from Ancient Olympia in Greece to Beijing, host of the 2008 Summer Olympics.
In London, host of the next Olympics in 2012, dozens of dignitaries, athletes and celebrities lined the route.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he would greet the torch outside his 10 Downing Street home during its journey from Wembley Stadium in the northwest to Greenwich in the southeast.
''It is also important to recognize, when you ask the question about the Olympic torch, that the Dalai Lama himself has said that he does not want to see a boycott of the Olympics,'' Brown said Saturday.
The torch's global tour is the longest in Olympic history and is meant to highlight China's growing economic and political power. But it has also offered protest groups abundant opportunity to draw attention to their concerns.
''People are traveling from across the country and Europe as well to participate,'' said spokesman Terry Bettger of the Free Tibet Campaign.
London's Metropolitan Police said it was aware of six organizations, including the Free Tibet campaign, the spiritual group Falun Gong and a group calling for democracy in Myanmar, planning to protest. The force deployed 2,000 officers along the route.
The Chinese ambassador to Britain, whose role as a torchbearer has become a focus of protesters' ire, said the Olympics should be viewed as a sporting event.
''There's a lot more awareness about the influence of politics and there are better means for solving political problems,'' Ambassador Fu Ying told the British Broadcasting Corp. last week. ''You don't solve them on the football ground; you don't solve them in the swimming pool.''
The BBC reported Thursday that Fu had pulled out of the relay, but the Chinese Embassy said no decision had been made and declined to comment on reports that a Chinese student organization has rallied members to protect the torch as it crosses London.
Among the 80 torchbearers scheduled to take part are double Olympic gold medal-winning runner Kelly Holmes and violinist Vanessa Mae.
Several torchbearers dropped out to protest China's human rights record. Richard Vaughan, Britain's top badminton player, also said he would not participate because China was not doing enough to stop violence in the Sudanese region of Darfur.
One of London's oldest Chinese organizations said it was crucial that the event not be marred by protests. More than 80,000 people of Chinese descent live in London, making it the largest Chinese community in Europe.
''The Olympic games are very important for all Chinese. In Chinatown, everyone is very anxious to see the torch pass,'' said London Chinese Community Center spokeswoman Annie Wu. ''We hope it goes smoothly.''
The torch relay is expected to face more demonstrations in Paris, San Francisco, New Delhi and possibly elsewhere as it weaves its way across the globe on a 21-stop, six-continent tour before reaching mainland China on May 4.
The torch was flown into London on Saturday from St. Petersburg, Russia, where some of the city's most renowned athletes carried the Olympic flame.
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