This morning I watched as activists climbed the Golden Gate Bridge here in San Francisco and unfurled banners reading "One World One Dream - Free Tibet 08." The action happened in lead-up to the April 9 torch relay through San Francisco, the only North American stop on the world-wide trip in advance of the games in China. Students for a Free Tibet claimed responsibility, and you can read their press release here.

There's great video on the NBC11 website. The action is ALL OVER the news. My parents even called from Ohio to find out if I was in jail.

Today's actions come after the torch relay was disrupted in London and in Paris, and on the heels of growing unrest within Tibet. There will be many more actions on Wednesday when the actual torch enters the U.S.

So. What do I think about this? In light of China's appalling human rights record in general, but particularly in Tibet, is it OK to disrupt an international celebration to make a point?

OK. Here are my thoughts.

- On the most base level, the problem with the China-Tibet situation is that China has been occupying an autonmous region for decades. Americans fought colonial British rule, but now we occupy Iraq and turn the other way when other powers do the same. No matter what I think of Tibet, its religion or culture, I respect the right of people every where to autonomy and self-rule.

- China cannot be allowed to use the 2008 Olympics as a PR compaign where it represents itself as a benign government. While some people may be inconvenienced or upset by the protests. As Laurel Sutherlin, one of the SF protesters who climbed the bridge said, "We need to make sure that they are not allowed to use this symbol of international unity as a tool to gain approval for what they're doing in Tibet." Or as one site says, China's attempt to use the event to "sanitize" it's image. Will some people be upset? Sure. I'm OK with that. No one is being hurt, and the protests are non-violent and not targeting the torch bearers.

- I am impressed with the obvious well-coordinated actions of the Tibet solidarity movement - not run by one group, but many. As I watch protests, vigils, banner hangs, and disruptions from around the world, I am struck at the international aspect of the protests - and that the stories are front-page news. The average person doesn't always care about something that happens so far away, in a place they have never been and can never imagine. But, when individuals from all walks of life are stepping up on this issue, the issue is far more compelling. People now know far more about Tibet than they did even a week ago.

That we are watching this coverage on the nightly news makes me think of the changing nature of how individuals across the globe perceive protest and the role of dissent in this world. Making China uncomfortable, and holding it accountable for its actions in Tibet are one step - maybe ending the war in Iraq is the next?

- Speaking of Iraq and the anti-war movement... are there comparisons to be made about how coordinated or successful it is? Well, let's take one thing into comparison. The occupation of Tibet has been going on for 57 years. Students for a Free Tibet, who claimed responsibility for today's action has been around since 1994, and other Tibet solidarity groups for longer. Is that how long it takes to organize a coordinated and diverse movement?

And finally, I'd like to take a moment to reflect on past actions at the Golden Gate Bridge. Does it sully the monument's image? Or is it that iconic image that makes it such an important location for the American tradition of dissent? Let me talk about just two: 1996 actor Woody Harrelson was arrested while hanging a banner protesting logging of redwoods as part of an Earth First! action. The most inspiring action to me was the 1989 shutdown of the bridge (the first in its history) by the group called Stop AIDS Now or Else which helped catapult AIDS into national consciousness. These were important moments that have shaped our nation's history, and I'm glad that the bridge has that legacy.