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RUNNING battles between protesters and police in London have fuelled concerns of similar scenes during the Australian leg of the Olympic torch relay.

Organisers fears the protests in London will motivate similar action in Canberra when the Olympic flame passes through the capital city on April 24.

British police battled to keep pro-Tibet demonstrators away from the Beijing Olympics flame as it passed through London today, arresting 36 protesters who tried to disrupt the high-security tour.

There were continual scuffles along the route as each member of the relay team of renowned British athletes, pop stars and television personalities handed over the flame to the next runner.

Two demonstrators against China`s crackdown in Tibet were arrested as they attempted to extinguish the torch and a third was pushed to the ground as he tried to seize the flame from a British television presenter taking part in the relay.

It is estimated that more than 1000 demonstrators turned out - twice as many as police had expected.

`A rolling and growing movement`

Canberra relay task force chairman Ted Quinlan says he fears the protests seen in London could spark a "rolling and growing movement" where demonstrators seek to outdo each other in terms of catching the limelight.

"My concern is that by the time it gets here, there have been a whole series of protests and that`s really all everybody is expecting for the day," he said on ABC radio.

Mr Quinlan said he hoped the action in London would turn out to be atypical and that the Canberra leg instead promoted the positive side of the Olympic spirit.

Local authorities would remain on guard for the possibility of similar demonstrations.

"We certainly want to push the positive side but we`ve got to be ever conscious of the security considerations of this and we have been," Mr Quinlan said.

"Of course, we`re observing what`s happening world-wide day by day and making appropriate plans."

Chairman of the Australia Tibet Council (ATC) George Farley said his organisation will do their best to stop protestors becoming violent when the Olympic flame came to Canberra later this month.

Mr Farley said it was estimated that between 300 and 400 protestors would attend demonstrations when the flame arrived in Canberra on April 24.

“If (protestors) do lose control, we will try to constrain them,” Mr Farley said.

“At this stage we’re expecting a well-organised, non-violent demonstration.”

Mr Farley said the ATC had been in contact with police in Canberra ahead of the demonstrations.

Beijing has faced international criticism over its crackdown on protests in Tibet that began on March 10 and which have spread to other areas of China with Tibetan populations.

Exiled Tibetan leaders say more than 150 people have been killed in the unrest. China has given a figure of 20.

But China`s top official in Tibet, rejecting demands by activists around the world, insisted on Sunday that the Beijing Olympics torch relay would pass through Tibet as planned.

The torch arrived in Paris today where the French authorities have also prepared massive security for the relay which has sparked protests since the torch was lit in Greece a week ago at the start of its 85,000-mile journey to Beijing via 21 countries.

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