U2 rocker Bono hopes for 'peaceful' torch relay

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Irish rock star Bono said here Tuesday he hoped the San Francisco leg of the Olympic torch relay would be trouble-free as he attended a pro-Tibet rally.

The U2 frontman told AFP on the sidelines of the event at United Nations Plaza that he hoped the furore surrounding the torch on its global relay would force China to address global concern over its actions in Tibet.

"I would like a peaceful outcome, for the torch tomorrow and in Tibet," Bono told an AFP reporter, comparing the debate over China's actions in Tibet to the issue of torture in the US government's "war on terror."

"I hope China takes this opportunity to address the issues," Bono said. "It's like waterboarding in the US; it's important to address the issues."

Around 800 people attended the peaceful rally in downtown San Francisco where a "Freedom Torch" was lit before activists flanked by around 20 police on each side began a march to the Chinese consulate.

San Francisco is preparing a heavy security presence in the city for the US leg of the troubled torch relay, which was severely disrupted by protesters in Paris on Monday.