BEIJING : Sporadic protests broke out against French retail giant Carrefour in some Chinese cities on Thursday.

Holding Chinese national flags, scores of young Chinese shouted slogans against Carrefour, while voicing their support for the Beijing Olympic Games.

Targeting stores in Changsha city in central Hunan province, as well as Fuzhou and Chongqing in the southeast and southwest, the protesters also shouted slogans against independence for Tibet.

But reflecting the government's appeal for rational and calm reactions, the protests were much milder than those weeks ago.

It was business as usual, however, at a Carrefour store in Beijing. But shoppers at the busy mega-mart were greeted by police officers stationed around the building, with more officers in civilian clothes keeping a close watch of the compound.

Calls to boycott Carrefour began in April. The French mega-mart was accused of backing the Dalai Lama, an allegation that the retail giant denied.

To avoid unnecessary attention, the retailer decided not to take advantage of the holiday spending, and cancelled all May Day promotions in China.

Still, there were patriots eager to make a stand, but only to be left in a lurch.

"We wanted to carry a huge banner and get people to sign a petition, but I didn't expect the plan to turn out like this," said a Chinese high school student.

"(A site on) the Internet said Carrefour supports the Dalai Lama. I'm not sure if it's true, but I certainly will not patronise the store," said a Chinese man.

But for the rest of shoppers, it's business as usual.

"I have no political agenda. I'm concerned if the service is good, that's what matters," said a member of the public.

That must be good news for Carrefour, which is hoping to for things to return to normal as soon as possible. - CNA /ls