The most controversial Olympic torch relay in history will arrive in Japan this week. The relay route has been changed and another event canceled in Nagano amid worries over the many protesters who have followed the route as persistently as any athlete. This Olympic torch has turned out to be symbolic not only of the world's greatest sporting event, but also of controversial politics and international complexities.

The torch relay has lost its innocent, we-are-the-world character by becoming a magnet for protests, some justified and others more tenuous. Trying to preserve the right to protest while helping along an event that transfixes the world's attention every four years has created new and unexpected pressures. Some countries along the route have tilted in one direction or the other, but balance and fairness are essential in complex matters such as this. As important as tallying up the number of gold, silver and bronze medals is becoming aware of what issues are at stake in this Olympics.

Some protesters in other countries have sought to turn the torch relay into propaganda for specific causes, in particular human rights in Tibet. Anti-China protesters should not be hard to find in any country, yet all too often the line between residual anti-communism and passionate dedication to human rights can become blurred. Calling attention to problems through the global media spotlight is very often constructive, but halting an event that brings the world together may not be the best time or place to do so. Whatever one's politics, though, the right to protest in a legitimate manner should be upheld. Whatever one's complaints, the Games should go on.