The Olympics Resistance Network drew battle lines with just over a week until Vancouver’s opening ceremonies.
“We are absolutely a threat to these Games,” ORN spokesperson Harjap Grewal told dozens of reporters and activists. “But we are not a threat to the public. We are a threat to the corporate sponsors and the industry and the government that props them up.”
The ORN is the loudest voice in a diverse Olympics protest movement. Security forces keep its members under close watch. A U.S. travel advisory last month urged Olympics visitors to avoid Vancouver protests.
This Thursday afternoon, ORN organizers stood before a phalanx of microphones and TV cameras in the Downtown Eastside’s Pigeon Park.
A maroon bandana reading “Fuck you and your fucking Olympics” covered one activist’s face. Nearby, a man smoked a joint and rested his hand on a trumpet.
The ORN expects activists from across the country and south of the border to converge on Vancouver this month. Native repression, corporate control, environmental destruction and police aggression top a long list of ORN grievances.
Grewal drew strong parallels between Olympics opposition and anti-globalization.
“A call for convergence normally happens at the G8, WTO and World Bank summits,” he said. “We don’t see the Olympics industry as being that much different than these institutions.”
Security planners have a $900 million budget. They’ll deploy an estimated 14,800 police, military and private security personnel in Vancouver and Whistler. What happens when security forces meet protesters is a subject of huge speculation.
A “welcoming committee” demonstration next Friday could be the largest protest event of the 2010 Olympics. ORN members said any violence will likely come from the police. Security boss Bud Mercer has often said he's fine with legal protests.
Anti-Games critic Chris Shaw hopes for thousands of residents in the streets.
“I get calls everyday from ordinary people who’ve probably never held a protest sign in their lives,” he said.
Geoff Dembicki reports for the Tyee.
What constitutes a "legal"
What constitutes a "legal" protest?
A legal protest is 3 people
A legal protest is 3 people waving flags on a backwoods lot in Hope, surrounded by 150 military pointing guns at them.
Ed Deak.
I am sure....
I am sure the ORN is such an huuuuuuuuge threat. Kind of reminds me of a Monty Python skit.
Yep
With Bud Mercer as Inspector Flying Fox of the Yard.
http://orangecow.org/pythonet/sketches/flyingfx.htm
Somebody could have settled this peaceably long ago, but they didn't. And now the likes of Wilfred and is buddies are going to be out busting heads for the global media to see.
We're sunk.
ORN needs a rethink.
ORN needs a rethink. They need to rethink their strategy. They're anticipating their own start of violence:
"ORN members said any violence will likely come from the police."
This is a dumb attitude. If there is peaceful civil protest, the police won't be bothered by it, but breaking a police line deliberatly means the ORN needs to rethink.
If they just stood in one place away from police lines and stated their case everyone will be safe.
If this group took the efforts they have made to say "be with us or else", and used it to really do something postive for the
Downtown Eastside, then the DES would be a much better place to live.
Keep it peaceful. State your concerns, but disruptions of events is not the way to go, there won't be any winning of public additonal support.
ORN members would be better off to do something more positive such as actually getting things done for the DES.
I mean not the soup kitchens or drop in centers, but getting down to it and change things by improvement of housing (join a construction group), and personally assisting those who want it to get off the dismal welfare cycle.
BC Boy
"ORN members would be better off to do something more positive such as actually getting things done for the DES."
Here's a thought :
"The Government of BC has had 10 years since winning the bid and oodles of money to play with so why haven't they got anything done for the downtown eastside in all that time?"
Could it be because BC Boy and the BC Liberals didn't want to get anything done about the poverty in this province and would rather use police to shut them up during the Olympics?
So where was the NDP?
Frank- so where was the NDP? The NDP had 10 years (1991-2001) to really change things in the Downtown Eastside and didn't do very much.
Could it be because Frank and the NDP didn't want anything done about the poverty
and would rather just ignore the problems
outright?
The opposition to the Olympics can get busy themselves as in "well, if you're not going to do anything for them we will!"
But that hasn't happened. The protest marches will go, and guess what? There will be media attention, the leaders and a few outspoken protestors will get their time on TV and in the paper, but yet nothing will be done about homelessness and
the caring for the mentally challenged in that area as a directresult of the protests.
What happened to protesting that actually
resulted in something being fixed? Now it'smore of an excuse to yell and scream
and then go home afterwards and key into
Facebook about arranging the next protest.
Nice way to support the down and outers isn't it?
Again if the ORN put their efforts into actually doing something useful to fix the problems they allegedly care so much about, the area would be back to a more livable area.
BC Boy
There was less homelessness under the NDP than there is under your Liberals.
So apparently the NDP did a better job on that front.
Just like how BC has led the country in child poverty for 7 years running, that stat didn't happen under the NDP.
"but yet nothing will be done about homelessness and
the caring for the mentally challenged in that area as a directresult of the protests."
That's because you and your government don't listen to those of us who tell you your ideology is a failure. If you listened to us perhaps your record would be better. One can't help but think that the reason your policies fail is because you want them to.
"What happened to protesting that actually
resulted in something being fixed?"
Oh this should be fun, what protest was it that you actually took part in? Name one.
"Nice way to support the down and outers isn't it?"
You'd know all about that I'm sure, pissed on any lately?
"Again if the ORN put their efforts into actually doing something useful to fix the problems they allegedly care so much about, the area would be back to a more livable area."
My god its a good thing your parents didn't have high expectations for you.
Get with the concept on fixing the problem
Frank -- get with the concept about fixing the problem. The NDP has advocated elimination of poverty since the 1980's and have done a dysmal job of it. They closed Essondale where the mentally challenged that could not take care of themselves should not have been put out on the street. Even NDPers today say that closure was a mistake. Harcourt made it more difficult to get welfare.
Glen Clark had the opportunity to completely fix the problems in the downtown east side but didn't.
There was never any huge major effort by The Left when they were in government to
get into something that was supposedly true to their hearts.
Don't see the ORN and Chris Shaw of No 2010
doing anything useful to fix the problem either.
No worries about my parents there. They're glad I didn't join the NDP and the group of snivelling losers that seem to think protesting is their way of getting things done.
They're quite proud that I am leading a good company in the IT industry, and volunteering for charity and community work.
and who is exactly "us"??
BC Boy
Harcourt is/was a Liberal like Dosanjh. Was it you or Steppeup that couldn't understand why many of us on the Left don't want anything to do with Harcourt?
That being said, he did a better job of combating homelessness and child poverty than your guy Campbell.
Clark and Harcourt were in power for the same length of time as your BC Liberals and I'll put their record on social issues up against your party of drunks record anytime.
But then you don't want to make a straight comparison do you? Because that wouldn't shine much in the way of glory on your do-nothing party that seems capable of only running up debt while cutting services.
As for ORN and Chris Shaw, you're just demonstrating your ignorance of all things economic. It will take government, not charities to alleviate poverty.
If charities could do it there wouldn't be any poverty.
If you actually did any volunteering you would know that.
But you don't, so you didn't.
If you got off your ass you'd find the problems of the world are more complicated than your belief in "sound bite solutions" allows.
You'd also discover that your hero has an abysmal record fighting homelessness and child poverty, worst in Canada and far worse than the NDP record in the 1990s.
Shame on you!
You're ruining the games!
This is NOT about economy, this IS about athletics & investment in BC's future!!
Gosh, you guys had your chance to protest... half of you didn't vote in these Olympics where the BCLibs won gold medal after gold medal for trouncing the BCNDP... they were called the 2009 BC Political Olympics. You had your chance... don't ruin these kids chances by your whining. Thank you.
Polakite
Ruin what kid's chances?
Sidney Crosby's chances? Luongo's?
"this IS about athletics & investment in BC's future!!:
No, its NOT about athletics, no one here is even discussing that, including you.
We are discussing the investment side of it, and the majority here think it stinks.
And on the 'investment' side
While we're talking about that, perhaps Mary Polak's biggest fan could explain one more time how spending one million dollars defending her and Heather Stilwell's prejudices all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada was a great 'investment' deal for the ratepayers of Surrey.
How many kids' 'chances' were ruined by that little gambit my friend?
And now she's doing it to every child in trouble in the province - talk about rising to her level of incompetence.
Exactly what does Olympics
Exactly what does Olympics Resistance Network want? Other than the men's hockey team, most of the athletes have spent their lives working to reach a dream and the ORN wants to destroy that dream. Why?
Will destroying those dreams, including their parents, friends, etc. help the poor or the homeless. I doubt it, it will make everybody angry so nothing gets done for the poor and homeless, exactly what ORN wants so they can tell everyone that nobody cares.
Where does ORN get their money from anyway? Aren't you just a little bit curious? An off-shore Iranian company maybe? Think about it, who gives money to someone to protest against the Olympics?
Sask Resident
"Will destroying those dreams, including their parents, friends, etc. help the poor or the homeless. I doubt it, it will make everybody angry so nothing gets done for the poor and homeless, exactly what ORN wants so they can tell everyone that nobody cares."
Cool, so in other words, you agree with the protesters in a way because you believe its totally fine to piss on the poor to get back at the Left for ruining the good time of the Olympics.
Tit for tat if you will.
I'm sure many protesters would agree that part of what motivates them is that it lets them get back at the Right for worsening the plight of the poor for the last 9 years.
Nice to let them know you agree with them.
Oh G West...
You know you really just have some angst.
For the umpteenth time, here is the truth - new source: http://www.straight.com/article-284393/vancouver/chandra-furious-stilwell-selection
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Polak, who served on the Surrey school board at the time of the book-banning fight, brushed aside Chandra’s criticism of her appointment.
“We have in British Columbia a very diverse multicultural society,” Polak told the Straight by phone. “We encourage that around any board table. A diversity of views is healthy, and it’s ironic that those who are preaching tolerance have become very intolerant in this instance.”
Chandra was also present in Surrey during the battles to ban the books, a fight that went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada before the Surrey school district was forced to reevaluate them using secular criteria.
Polak said it is important to remember that at the end of the court case, “Surrey became the first school district in the province to approve curriculum materials for primary grades dealing with same-sex families. That’s a fact.”
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You left-wingers just can't let go, can you? You guys are so out against Polak as if she's BC's Palin.