San Francisco Olympic Torch

The Beijing Olympic torch made its way through San Francisco after a false start early in the afternoon, when large, acrimonious protests forced police to scrap plans to carry it along the downtown shoreline. The torch was secretly driven across downtown to Van Ness Avenue, a hilly artery that divides the city, where it proceeded towards the ritzy Marina District under the heavy cover of SUVs and motorcycles. Read coverage of the day's events by Mother Jones reporter Josh Harkinson here, and here.