inside a 200-metre cordon shielding it from protests as it left the Eiffel Tower, flanked by riot officers and other police on inline skates.

Along the route, some cheered and waved Chinese flags but many others chanted pro-Tibet slogans.

Around 500 protesters congregated at Trocadero Square, which faces the Eiffel Tower.

One torch bearer, the double French judo gold medallist, David Douillet, told RTL radio he regretted the choice of China to host the games "because it isn't up to snuff on freedom of expression, on total liberty, and of course, on Olympic values".

Demonstrations are also expected in San Francisco and New Delhi, India on the torch relay's 21-stop, six-continent tour before it arrives in mainland China on May 4.

The flame's progress through London yesterday was slow, violent and occasionally farcicalas protesters repeatedly attempted to disrupt the relay.

China faced already a distinctly chilly official reception in France.

When asked whether he hoped there would be a major protest in Paris, the French foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, said he wanted "people to be informed" about Tibet.

Following reports at the weekend that the president, Nicolas Sarkozy, was still considering a boycott of the opening ceremony, Kouchner said "all options" remained open.

China had hoped the flame relay – the longest in Olympic history - would mark the start of a triumphant coming-out party for the world's most populous nation, marking its emergence as a major economic and political world power.

However, existing concerns over its human rights record were exacerbated following major anti-Beijing protests in Tibet, in which exiled Tibetan leaders claim up