Government approved protests denied

"Nicholas Bequelin, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, a private group based in New York, said he and other rights advocates had been skeptical that China would fulfill its pledge to allow greater free speech during the Olympic Games. Still, he said, the International Olympic Committee should be held accountable for not pressing China on the issue. 'The I.O.C. seems oblivious to the fact that they’re holding the Games in a repressive environment,' he said."

Quote from the on-line article, "Would-Be Protesters Detained in China," in the New York Times.