By the numbers, Beijing’s preparations for the Summer Olympics are formidable. With less than six months to go before the August 8 opening ceremonies, 30 of the 31 competition sites and 44 of the 45 training venues have been completed. Organizers hold regular press conferences trumpeting progress on everything from sewage treatment to cloud seeding. But no amount of preparation has readied Beijing for the protest and criticism the Games are attracting. Austin Ramzy (’03) writes for TIME.

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