Rules and more rules for Olympic spectators

BEIJING - For any Olympic fans wanting to make like Robin Hood, know this: Crossbows will be banned at venues.

The Chinese government will be taking tough security measures when the Olympics begin in 3 1/2 weeks. It issued another reminder Monday about fan behavior and what not to bring into Olympic sites.

Hoping to stage-manage a perfect show, Beijing organizers have been preaching "civilized behavior" for several years as the Aug. 8 games approach: no spitting, stand in line, and be polite to other nationalities.

Zhang Zhenliang, a Beijing organizing committee official, said Monday the rules were aimed at "maintaining an orderly, civilized and peaceful environment at competition venues."

Zhang ran off a list of restricted articles, which he said was similar to other Olympics. The difference with these Olympics is the repeated emphasis on order, security and decorum for the Chinese.

Banned items include guns, ammunition, crossbows, daggers, fireworks, flammable materials, corrosive chemicals and radioactive materials.

Restricted items include a wide assortment: musical instruments, oversized carry-on bags, suitcases, handbags, flags of countries and regions not participating either in the Olympics or Paralympics, flags more than two meters in length or one meter in height, banners, leaflets, posters and unauthorized professional videotaping equipment.

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Also restricted are knives, bats, long-handled umbrellas, long poles, animals (except for guide dogs), vehicles (except for strollers and wheelchairs), loudspeakers, radios, laser devices or wireless devices.

There are also rules about behavior at venues: no smoking, no crossing over guardrails, no standing for a long period of time in the seating area and no flash photography.

Umbrellas will be allowed in venues in a break from the rules that excluded them from the venues at the last Olympics in Athens, Huang said.

"In foreign countries people like to sunbathe, but in Beijing we prefer to avoid the sunlight," she added. "So we will allow people to bring collapsible umbrellas as long as they don't put them up in the stands."

Umbrellas are a common sight in Beijing during August, acting as parasols on the rare days of bright sunshine and protection from the relatively frequent downpours.

No banners
Beijing is also advising spectators coming to the Olympics to leave their banners at home, even if they do not contravene rules forbidding the airing of political or religious views at venues.

The rules, which Beijing organizers said were "virtually the same as for the Athens and Sydney Olympics," ban banners and flags larger than two meters by one meter although officials said they would prefer that even smaller signs were not displayed.

"We advise that you do not bring banners of any kind to the Games because we must create a fair play environment for the athletes from all countries," Huang Keying, deputy director of spectator services division at the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG), told a news conference.

"The kind of banner with "Go China!" on it would be unfair for athletes from other countries."

The Olympic charter bans "any kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda ... in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas."

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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