The Great Firewall Of China

The Apple iTunes music store has been blocked in China due to some athletes listening to ‘protest songs’. Sean Michaels of The Guardian reported today that this started when the organization The Art Of Peace Foundation (a US Tibetan activist group) invited Olympic athletes to download their Songs For Tibet compilation free of charge. The group said that by listening to the album in Beijing the athletes would communicate that “compassion and non-violence can overcome intolerance and oppression - beautiful ideals to be associated with the Olympic spirit.“.

Fourty plus athletes downloaded, so China took a huge step by blocking iTunes.

The comp, which features tracks from bands like Rush and Underworld and songs from artists like Damien Rice and Sting has been unavaliable for download, among with all other albums featured on the US-based online store , in China since Monday.

“The predictably hostile response to the album from Chinese internet users, as reported by an official Chinese media outlet, reflects continued attempts to suppress any support for Tibet at a time of crisis for the Tibetan people” said the spokesperson for the International Campaign For Tibet to the Sydney Morning Herald.