AW@L launched the Olympic leg of our No2010 campaign in October of 2008, when we worked with allies from Six Nations and across Southwest Ontario to Block the Olympic Spirit Train on its cross-country propaganda tour.
In February of 2009 AW@L signed onto the Olympic Resistance Network's statement on "Solidarity and Unity in Opposing the 2010 Olympic Games." In the Spring of '09, AW@L co-hosted a meeting that resulted in the formation of the Olympic Resistance Network-Ontario (ORNO).
In September of 2009 we delivered "A Letter of Resistance to the City of Kitchener: In Opposition to the 2010 Olympics," which outlines some of the reasons for our resistance to the Games, and makes connections with local issues. [press]
In October of 2009 AW@L signed onto the 2010 Corporate Campaign against the Olympic's major corporate sponsors. Since then, AW@L has undertaken a series of actions against the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) who is both, one of the primary sponsors of the 2010 Olympics, and Canada's leading financier of the Tar Sands.
On December 27 of 2009, AW@L coordinated a rally and demonstration against the Olympic Torch Relay that saw more than 200 people marching through the streets of Kitchener, chanting "No Olympics on Stolen Native Land" [video]
In February, members of AW@L and ORNO will be joining allies from across the country for an anti-colonial, anti-capitalist convergence in Vancouver from the 10th-15th. Follow AW@L on peaceculutre.org and on twitter while we are there. We will also be podcasting and live streaming video from the convergence on AW@L Radio and on our new Youtube channel Peaceculture2010.
stay tuned for the next phase of AW@L's No2010 Campaign which will target the G8/G20 in Toronto this June.
Watch this video by BurningFist Media.
(recommended)
Listen to these podcasts by AW@L Radio:
* AW@L Radio presents an anti-Olympic info night in Kitchener (recommended)
* Straight from the Source - Olympic Resistance Network presents a case
* AW@L at city council: Civil liberties vs. Olympic torch relay
* Melissa Elliott on Six Nations Youth Resistance to the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay (recommended)
* Olympic security state and free trade
Read these articles, essays and blogs written by AW@L members
(more coming soon)
Kelly Grevers
* Five Ring Circus: an interview with Conrad Schmidt
Alex Hundert
* No Olympics on Stolen Native Land
* Changing the Story on Dissent
* Fighting back against corporate greenwashing
* The Olympics, the media, and the message
* In the aftermath - an activist's response (p2)
Dan Kellar
* Torch Ignites Resistance (w Alex Hundert)
* Imposed Governments, Imposed Games?
* Olympic Resistace
* Activists block 2010 Spirit Train
* The Application of Environmental Impact Assessment Legislation to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games Venue and Infrastructure Developments (Masters thesis, pdf)
Winnie Small
* Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Pimps, prostitutes, and gold medals (p2)
Watch these videos produced by AW@L Radio & Peaceculture2010:
Anti-Olympic Torch demonstration in Kitchener (pt2), (pt3)
No Olympics on Stolen Native Land
No Olympic Torch on Six Nations' Land
(more coming soon)
Statement from Sutikalh Camp, St'at'imc Territory, Winter 2003
* Indigenous People Say "No Olympics on Stolen Land"
International Indigenous Youth Network Statement, March 2007
* No Olympics on Stolen Unceded Native Land
Callout from Indigenous Peoples Summit, Sonora Mexico, October 2007
* Intercontinental Anti-2010 Movement Launched in Mexico
Native Youth Movement (NYM)
* NYM Calls for Boycott and Cancellation of 2010 Winter Olympic Games
* International Statement from Secwepemc Native Youth Movement
* Native Warriors complete speaking tour
* Native Youth Movement: Send the Torch back to Europe
* No 2010 Olympics on Stolen Native Land - Video
No2010.com & Warrior Publications
* No Olympics on Stolen Native Land
* Natives and 2010: Background
* 4 Host First Nations and Other Sell-Out Natives
Spirit of Warrior Harriett Nahanee (blog)
* Concerning our late elder..., March 2007
* AFN Sell-Out Chiefs Proclaim Anti-Olympic ‘Understanding’, July 2008
On Cultural Appropriation
* Olympics neither authentic nor accountable
* Hudsons Bay Company: Corporate colonialism and the 2010 Olympics
* Native businessman upset at VANOC's outsourcing of aboriginal products (corporate media)
* Olympic Cowichan Sweater Not Made by Natives (corporate media)
"Stolen Sisters"
* All Eyes on Us: Revealing Over 500 Missing/Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada
ORN-Ontario Indigenous Youth
* Vanoc/AFN Olympic Promotional Event Disrupted in Toronto
* No Olympics on Stolen Native Land (video)
* ORN-O Blockades Olympic Torch Relay, 8 Arrested During Shut Down of Trans Canada Highway
Six Nations Resistance
* Kahnawake Mohawks oppose the Torch
* Declaration of the Onkwehonwe of Grand River Territory on the 2010 olympic torch relay
* No Olympics on Stolen Native Land - No Torch on Six Nations': Interviews with Six Nations spokespersons Lindsay Bomberry and Melissa Elliott (recommended)
* Olympic Torch stopped at Six Nations (independant media)
* Torch Relay blocked at Oneida (corporate media)
Arthur Manuel on the Olympics
* Vancouver Olympics can’t hide Canada’s dismal record on indigenous peoples
* The Olympic Torch should be put out
* Land and rights in Canada
* Beware of BC's proposed Recognition and Reconciliation Act
Dustin Rivers on the Olympics
(blog: Liberated Yet? Questions into Indigenous liberation and decolonization)
* Natives Say No to 2010 Olympics
* 2010 Vancouver Olympics Integrated Security Unit Pays Me A Visit
* The Colonial legacy in these lands
* Band Council corruption and the 2010 Olympics
Downtown Eastside Power of Women Group
* In our own words
Downtown Eastside Justice for All Network
* DTES Groups demand "Prorogue the Olympics"
Olympic Resistance Network
* OlympicResistance.net
* 2010 Welcoming Committee
No One Is Illegal-Vancouver
* Statement opposing the Games
* Olympic Update
Poverty Olympics
* World class Province, world class poverty
* <
BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA)
* 2010 Legal observer program
* The 2010 Olympic Games and free speech
No2010.com
* Homelessness2010: Background
* 2010 and Criminalization of the poor
* Labour and 2010
Feb.14 Annual Memorial Women's March
* Bury my heart at Main and Hastings: Olympic Games and murdered women
* 19th annual women's memorial march
* All Eyes on Us: Revealing Over 500 Missing/Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada
ORNO vs the Olympic Torch Relay
* ORN-O Call Out For Action in Ontario Against the Olympic Torch, November 12, 2009
* Kingston Olympic Torch Banner Drop
* Toronto Extinguish the Torch
* Olympic Torch Relay Stopped at Six Nations
* Torch Relay Blocked at Oneida
* London Protests Olympic Torch
* Stratford Torch Disruption
* Torch Ignites Resistance in Kitchener
* Torch goes Down in Guelph
* Olympic Resistance at Barrie Torch Celebration
* ORNO Blockades Torch Relay, 8 Arrested During Shut Down of Trans Canada Hwy
ORNO vs the Olympic Spirit Train
* Blockade of Spirit Train back rail line across the country, Toronto
* Attack on CP Rail, Toronto
* Spirit Train protest, Mississauga
* Report back from Spirit Train protest, Sudbury
Ontario actions against Olympic sponsors
* Protest against RBC on the Global Day of Action against Climate Change, Waterloo, Dec 12 2009
* AW@L returns to RBC, Waterloo, Oct 30 2009
* RBC targetted for National Day of Action in Waterloo, October 23
* RBC targetted in Waterloo, May 12 2009
* McDolanlds Vandalized, Guelph, Nov 29 2008
* Anti-2010 arson at Chevy dealership, Toronto, July 7, 2008
* RBC Trashed, Ottawa, March 13 2008
* Olymic Clock vandalized in Ottawa, March 5
* RBC attacked again in Ottawa, March 1
* Delta Hotels target of anti-Olympic solidarity, Guelph, Feb 26, 2008
* RBC attaced in Ottawa, Feb 26
* Countdwn clock disrupted in Ottawa, Feb 13
* Vandals target RBC, Ottawa, Jan 31, 2008
watch
read
* Greenwashing at the Games, The Dominion, Chris Arsenault
* "Greenest Games Ever", The Dominion, Pina Pelperio
* Fighting back against corporate greenwashing, Narrative Resistance, Alex Hundert
download
* Dirty Money for Dirty Oil: Social and environmental crimes of RBC, a 2010 Olympics corporate sponsor flyer (pdf), 2010 Corporate Campaign
* The environmentaly devastating tar sands and links to 2010 Olympic Games (factsheet, pdf), Council of Canadians
(more coming soon)
The 2010 Winter Olympics will take place in Vancouver & Whistler, on unceded Indigenous land, from February 12-28 2010. We call on all anti-capitalist, Indigenous, housing rights, labour, migrant justice, environmental, anti-war, community-loving, anti-poverty, civil libertarian, and anti colonial activists to come together to confront this two-week circus and the oppression it represents. We are organizing towards a global anti-capitalist and anti-colonial convergence against the 2010 Olympic Games. * BASIC SCHEDULE: The basic plan thus far is: - Conference and People’s Summit on Wed Feb 10- Thurs Feb 11 - Fri Feb 12: Take Back Our City! “Welcome” the 2010 Olympic Torch with Free Games, Free Speech, and Free Food! Beginning with a festival at the Vancouver Art Gallery at 3 pm, followed by a parade and protest to BC Place Stadium. Details, including childcare arrangements, at: http://2010welcoming.wordpress.com/
- Autonomous days of action on Sat Feb 13 and Mon Feb 15 including
anti-corporate actions, rallies to oppose militarization, and more.
- On Sun Feb 14th, we will be standing with the 19th Annual Women’s
Memorial March to honour all the missing and murdered and women in the DTES (this is not an anti-Olympic protest). Details at: http://womensmemorialmarch.wordpress.com/
We will also be updating our website with additional anti-Olympic events occurring during the month of February: http://olympicresistance.net or http://no2010.com
* LOGISTICAL INFORMATION:
We are working to coordinate the logistics to host this convergence. For information on billeting (whether you are in need of billeting or can provide billeting), travel and border information, legal updates, food and childcare arrangements, community spaces, welcome package, and more, please check http://olympicresistance.net frequently for updates.
* SUPPORT THE CONVERGENCE AND GET INVOLVED!
1) Sign-up for our low-traffic list (1-2 emails per week) to stay updated
on upcoming events, meetings, and actions. Please email
olympicresistance@riseup.net and ask to be added to our announcement list.
2) If you are part of another group (artist, activist, community, union, campus etc) and are planning any kind of activity or event to oppose the Games during Jan-Feb 2010, please do let us know so we can stay in touch.
3) Host an anti-Olympic educational on your campus or at your next conference. Or invite a speaker to your next meeting to discuss what your group can do. We are able to provide educational materials including films, tshirts, comics, buttons, stickers and more!
4) Get involved in the Olympic Resistance Network or other anti-Olympic groups in your neighbourhood or campus. The ORN has regular General Meetings on Sundays as well as many committees.
5) Spread the word about the convergence! Forward this notice to your
contacts, join our facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=22399134613&ref=ts), download posters and flyers about the convergence from our website and pass them on!
6) Please donate! Hosting this convergence requires significant funds, including legal defence funds. You can donate securely through PayPal on our website: http://olympicresistance.net/content/send-us-money or cheques can be made out to Olympic Resistance Network and mailed to ORN, 6 - 1857 Kitchener St, Vancouver, BC, V5L 2W5. Email ornfundraise@riseup.net to arrange direct deposits or other queries.
* WHY OPPOSE THE GAMES:
The 2010 Winter Olympics will take place on unceded Indigenous land. Far from being simply about sport, the history of the Olympics is one rooted in displacement, corporate greed, and repression. As Olympic promoters and sponsors seek to present their sanitized corporate brand image to the world, the real impacts of the Games are apparent to everyone:
* Expansion of sport tourism on Indigenous lands
* Increasing homelessness across the province and especially in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside
* Misdirected public spending and debt totaling $6 billion while funding for the arts, educations, and health care are suffering cutbacks
* Corporate bailouts and corporate profits for companies with some of the worst social and environmental records.
* Threats to basic civil liberties and free speech
* Union-busting and vulnerable working conditions for migrant labour
* Unprecedented destruction of the environment
* Unparalleled $1 billion police and security spending that is turning our
city into a militarized zone.
Watch: http://submedia.tv/stimulator/2009/06/14/resist-2010-new-anti-olympic-video/
*sign up for the AW@L twitter feed at http://www.twitter.com/peaceculture
*subscribe to the new AW@L Youtube channel, peaceculture2010 at http://www.youtube.com/user/peaceculture2010
*follow @dankellar and @alexhundert and #no2010 on twitter