Some 35 people were arrested for protests in London which China called 'vile' [Reuters]

"We strongly condemn this vile behaviour," China's state media said on Monday, following protests in the British capital that included attempts to extinguish the flame.

The criticism came as the head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) expressed concern over the unrest in Tibet.

"I'm very concerned with the international situation and what's happening in Tibet," Jacques Rogge said on Monday in Beijing where he is meeting Olympic officials.

The huge secruity contingent struggled to stop activists taking the torch in London [AFP]

The comment appeared to strike a different tone from another Rogge made on Saturday, saying that the IOC had no regrets about choosing Beijing to host the Olympics and calling it a "wise choice".

In London, 35 people were arrested after thousands of anti-China protesters draped in Tibetan flags disrupted the torch relay on Sunday.

Chinese security officers in blue tracksuits and scores of British police on foot and bicycles encircled the celebrities and athletes carrying the flame but demonstrators repeatedly broke through their cordon.

Torch grab

One protester tried to grab the torch, while another tried to snuff out the flame with what appeared to be a fire extinguisher.

Olympic torch relay

Modern tradition of torch relay began in 1936 at Berlin Olympics

This year's is the longest ever, travelling 137,000km

The torch will visit 19 nations over 130 days

First destination is Kazakhstan

On the final leg, it will travel throughout China, including Tibet and the summit of Mount Everest

Chinese state television and the English-language China Daily newspaper focused on the larger crowds of well-wishers who lined the route and British sports celebrities holding the torch, showing little or nothing of the protests.

French police have, meanwhile, beefed up their presence as they prepare for the torch's arrival in Paris on Monday.

About 3,000 French police, some on skates and motorbikes, others on patrol boats and even a helicopter, will try to protect the Olympic torch as it is taken through the capital.

Paris police say they have an elaborate security plan to keep the torch in a safe "bubble" as pro-Tibet activists have threatened to disrupt the torch relay there.

About 80 athletes will carry the torch over a 28-km route that starts at the Eiffel Tower and crosses over the Seine river before ending at the Charlety track and field stadium.

French 'Tiananmen Square'

The head of Reporters Without Borders, arrested in Greece last month for protesting during the flame-lighting ceremony there, promised "spectacular" protests despite the heavy police turnout.

The international Olympic torch relay continues to spark anti-China anger [Reuters]

Robert Menard criticised France for caving in to demands from Beijing to introduce tight security measures.

"The Chinese have made sure that for a few hours, Paris will look like Tiananmen Square. I think it's shameful," he said.

The Olympic torch is expected to remain a magnet for anti-Chinese protests ahead of the August Games in Beijing, with campaigns aimed at China's crackdown in Tibet as well as its links with Myanmar's military rulers and Sudan's Darfur region.

Tibet's capital, Lhasa, was hit last month by protests against Chinese rule that drew a strong reaction from Beijing and left many dead.

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