While people in several major cities have welcomed the Olympic flame with singing and dancing as it makes its way around the world, a few activists who have tried to sabotage the torch relay have put a damper on the event.

"Pro-Tibet independence" activists tried to grab the torch from its bearers and extinguish the flame when it passed through several cities, such as London and Paris.

A commentary from Xinhua News Agency says those activities constitute a grave violation of the Olympic spirit.

It says the Olympic Games are a grand festival for people all over the world. The International Olympic Committee and other international organizations have iterated time and again that the Olympic Games are non-political and transcend political ideology.

The commentary points out that because the development of all countries today is more closely interrelated than ever before, people of various nations need more mutual understanding and respect.

It says the Olympic Games provides a platform for all people to enhance their understanding, bridge differences and strengthen their friendships. And the torch relay serves as a bridge that spans social differences as well as a link between different cultures.

The article says the efforts of some "pro-Tibet independence" activists who stubbornly continue to go against the trend of history by trying every way to undermine the Games are doomed to failure.