Mr. Torch's Wild Ride: Olympic Torch Chaos in San Francisco

Live from Justin Herman Plaza/San Francisco:

More bad news for NBC Universal and Coca-Cola:

4:00 p.m. According to the text messages coming in fast and furiously, the Olympic torch is now headed to SFO after a day of chaos and confusion. The closing ceremonies, slated to take place here across from the San Francisco Ferry Building, have been cancelled.

All day long, crowds have been chasing down the elusive torch. Thousands gathered along the planned route, even though Mayor Gavin Newsom warned the route could be changed.

"Changed" really doesn't describe the inane planning here in San Francisco - more like a completely-altered-to-the-point-of-being-a-meaningless-exercise-that-enables- Newsom-to-claim-that-he-wasn't-forced-to-cancel-the-run - is more like it.

But Newsom will have to answer to the absurd, almost farcical, cat and mouse game that ensued when city officials treated the torch's route like a state secret, creating unexpected traffic snarls while denying almost everyone even a peek at the controversial flame.

In the Embarcadero area (near the Ferry Building) a Chinese consulate official was observed and photographed (by me) directing Chinese nationalist counter-protesters with their enormous red Chinese flags to stand amongst the Tibetans. The Chinese consulate was also seen handing out lunch to their protesters. The Chinese consulate was also seen handing out lunch to their hired hands

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Photo: Obviously, Gavin believes the Olympic torch must be kept far, far away from potentially disruptive protesters, like this senior from Berkeley.