Chinese intelligence officials flew to San Francisco in order to surveil and disrupt pro-democracy, Tibet, Uighur, and Falon Gong protests during the 2008 Olympic torch relay. Three former intelligence officials told Politico that Chinese MSS and Ministry of Public Security officers filmed the demonstrations and directed 6,000-8,000 Chinese students, some pro-PRC and some faced with the revoking of their funding should they not participate, to intimidate and overwhelm anti-Beijing protestors. U.S. officials reportedly shared the identities of the Chinese intelligence officers involved with Australia in order to prevent them from obtaining Australian visas, but did not notify the wider American public or media at the time.