How "thuggish" are the Chinese security at Olympic Torch Relay?

I'm not sure I understand what's "sinister" or "thuggish", from what I've seen from the videos. It looks like a group of guys forming in inner ring around the torch, with metro police on the outer cordon, I don't see any other immediate action avaliable other than simply shoving the protestors away.

The only action by those security was a guy wrestled to the ground who tried to extinguish the flame with a fire extinguisher, but imo, that guy was asking for it. And the British police arrested him.

These Chinese guys are only trying hard to protect the flame, that was obviously their task are they areobeying the law of the host country, other than that they do not have have executive powers.
British Lord Coe describe them as thugs, I found this to be a very ignorant and biased comment
Obviously he have not seen security at a concert.