SAN FRANCISCO — The Olympic torch likely will not pass through Chinatown when it comes to San Francisco next month on its way to the Beijing Games.

The decision was based on the difficulty of planning the torch's procession through Chinatown's narrow streets, Mayor Gavin Newsom said yesterday.

San Francisco is the only North American city to host the torch on April 9.

The torch relay has triggered protests by human rights activists calling for an end to China's heavy-handed rule over Tibet. Newsom said no one would be prevented from demonstrating as the torch travels through the city.

City officials have debated whether the city should use the event to criticize China's human rights record.

A Board of Supervisors committee heard more than four hours of public testimony Thursday about a proposed resolution calling for public officials to make a statement that the torch is "received with alarm and protest."

The committee passed a resolution that deleted the criticisms of China, and instead welcomed two other torch events — the Tibetan Freedom Torch and the Global Human Rights Torch.