Who are these guys?

If you've watched the news in the last few days I'm sure you're aware of the Olympic torch protests that are taking part all over the world. After viewing these protests I was wondering who are these dudes in the blue track suits that are guarding the torch? It turns out these guys were recruited from Chinese specialist squads in the People's Armed Police (PAP), a one-million strong force dedicated to maintaining public order.They even have a special name, "The Olympic Holy Flame Protection Unit." These are the same guys that were sent to quell the protests in Tibet. How are these guys allowed to control the security operation in London and in Paris? Witnesses in London noticed squirmishes between this unit, local police and even the Olympic authorities. You can read more about it from the Telegraph.

Olympic Torch extinguished in Paris

The Olympic torch had to be extinguished twice and put on a bus as it made its way through France Monday. This comes on the heels of British protests, where 37 people were arrested in London Sunday during a Pro-Tibet rally. Over 3,000 police officers were on duty in Paris, trying to keep the over 500 French protesters at bay. The demonstrators waved banners, booed and chanted“Tibet” as the torch passed by. French police subdued a member of the French Green Party after an attempt to grab the torch from the first torch runner and the torch was placed on a bus after several hundred protesters booed an athlete in a wheelchair tried to weave his way through a traffic tunnel. Speaking in Beijing earlier, IOC President Jacques Rogge said he was concerned over both the recent unrest in Paris and the torch protests. "The International Olympic Committee has expressed its serious concern and calls for a rapid peaceful resolution in Tibet," Mr Rogge said.
He condemned the attempts to disrupt the torch relay, saying violent protests, "for whatever reason," are "not compatible with the values of the torch relay or the Olympic Games". The protests are a response to China's security crackdown in Tibet following a series of protests against Chinese rule which swept the region last month. (AP Photo/Patrick Kovarik)