Beijing police cancel U.N. hunger march after huge turnout
The Associated Press
BEIJING: Police ordered organizers to cancel the Beijing leg of a U.N.-organized global march against child hunger after more than double the expected number of marchers showed up, organizers said.
About 1,000 people were expected for the march in a Beijing park to raise money for anti-hunger programs in Cambodia. It was one of a series of such events organized by the World Food Program in areas throughout the world over a 24-hour period.
But police told organizers to call off the event after more than 2,000 people showed up, said Iman Stratenus, a spokesman for the shipping company TNT NV, which co-sponsored the Beijing march.
"The police ordered us to cancel this event just because there are too many people interested in the event," Stratenus said. "It's for health and safety of the people and we have to think of safety first. There is nothing else we can do."
Some participants already had made donations at boxes along the march route in the park, but the total amount collected was not immediately known, the organizers said.
About 1,000 people were expected for the march in a Beijing park to raise money for anti-hunger programs in Cambodia. It was one of a series of such events organized by the World Food Program in areas throughout the world over a 24-hour period.
But police told organizers to call off the event after more than 2,000 people showed up, said Iman Stratenus, a spokesman for the shipping company TNT NV, which co-sponsored the Beijing march.
"The police ordered us to cancel this event just because there are too many people interested in the event," Stratenus said. "It's for health and safety of the people and we have to think of safety first. There is nothing else we can do."
Some participants already had made donations at boxes along the march route in the park, but the total amount collected was not immediately known, the organizers said.
