Protest zones set up

China will allow a modicum of dissent at the Olympics, setting up special protest zones far from the main sports venues, in a shift that supporters and detractors said is meant to safely channel criticism and avoid disrupting the Games.

The designated protest areas will be in parts of three public parks, all several kilometres from the main Olympic stadium.

One is in a park that features large mock-ups of the White House and other world monuments, raising the prospect that protesters will appear to be elsewhere in news pictures.