Solidarity with Six Nations and Organizing against the 2010 Olympics [Link]
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Anti-Olympic Torch Demonstration in Kitchener Ontario
No Olympics on Stolen Native Land

AW@L's new Youtube channel, Peaceculture2010, now has posted a three part video from our massive anti-Olympic rally, march and demonstration in Kitchener on December 27. Don't forget to follow AW@L at the No2010 Convergence in Vancouver next month.

Part 1.

Part 2.

Part 3.
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ORN-O Call Out For Action in Ontario Against the Olympic Torch.

Olympic Resistance Network – Ontario
November 12th 2009

On December 12th, the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay will enter Ontario by crossing the Ottawa River. As the torch travels through this province for the 22 following days, the Olympic Resistance Network – Ontario (ORN-O) is calling on and encouraging human rights advocates, Indigenous sovereignty and solidarity activists, anti-capitalists, environmentalists, anti-war groups, anti-poverty activists, migrant justice workers, anarchists, and all other agents of social justice and change to resist and protest the torch’s presence in this province, and extinguish this burning symbol of oppression and destruction, wherever it appears.
[Read More]
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History of the Olympic Torch Relay

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A Letter of Resistance to the City of Kitchener

In Opposition to the 2010 Olympics
Sept. 24, 2009

Since the awarding of the 2010 Olympics to Vancouver and Whistler, a growing network has resisted the social, cultural, and environmental injustices attributable to the Olympics. The Olympic torch relay itself is a burning symbol of injustice and colonialism. The torch is planned to pass through Kitchener – this implicitly supports the injustices and destruction occurring in the name of the Games. For these reasons, we demand that the City of Kitchener back out of the Olympic torch relay.

Read Statement (long version), (short version).
Read letter to Mayor Carl Zehr
Read press release
Read Coverage of AW@L vs City Hall and the Olympic Torch Relay Celebration
Read Coverage of AW@L vs Olympic sponsor RBC
Read the "Call for Cross-Canada Mobilizing: Extinguish the Torch"
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AW@L has endorsed the Olympic Resistance Network (ORN) Statement on Solidarity and Unity

February 2009

The Olympics Resistance Network is based in Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories and exists as a space to coordinate anti-colonial and anti-capitalist efforts against the 2010 Games. Our organizing is based on the recognition that the Olympics is taking place on unceded Native land, and exists to create a movement for all anti capitalist, Indigenous, anti poverty, labour, migrant justice, housing, environmental justice, civil libertarian, anti war, and anti colonial activists to join forces. We come together on the basis of anti-oppression principles and with a respect for diversity of tactics. In addition to building ongoing educational and resistance efforts, we are working towards a convergence between February 10th-15th 2010, based on the call by the Indigenous Peoples Gathering in Sonora, Mexico to boycott the Games.

We recognize that we, the Olympics Resistance Network, represent part of a wider movement opposing the 2010 Olympics. Therefore this statement aims to encourage solidarity and unity amongst the diverse groups, communities, and movements who are opposed to and/or critical of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
[Read more]
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The Real News Network: Controversy rocks lead-up to 2010 Olympics

Watch this piece for footage and interviews from the AW@L Spirit Train blockade, and for background and context on the 2010 Resistance Movement.
The TRNN producer for this piece, Jesse Freeston, is one of the founding members of AW@L, currently living in Toronto.

no2010.com - 8 Reasons to Resist the 2010 Olmpics

Resist 2010: Eight Reasons to Oppose the 2010 Winter Olympics. (HIGH RES) from BurningFist Media on Vimeo.

*No2010.com has released a new PDF entitled SportsAction: Chronology and Communiques of Anti-2010 Resistance and Direct Actions. This is a 20-page 8x11 magazine format documenting anti-2010 direct actions from 2006-2008, including communiques and news articles.*

An AW@L info Kit

Background

The 2010 winter Olympics are to be held in British Columbia within the Sea-to-Sky corridor encompassing the cities of Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Squamish, Lions Bay, and Whistler along with a score of smaller communities, and the shared traditional territories of the Lil’wat, Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh (Burrard Band) First Nations, known as the Four Host First Nations Society.

Some members of these First Nations have benefited in multiple ways due to the 2010 Olympics. They have been awarded land and development rights in the Whistler, Squamish and Pemberton areas; they have been awarded construction contracts and material supplies contracts; they have had timber from the Sea-to-Sky Highway improvement project delivered to them; and perhaps most importantly (constitutionally at least), attempts have been made to meaningfully included them into planning and development processes which will impact their traditional lands. It appears a new area of cooperation has been established between First Nations and the Provincial Government of British Columbia.

If this increased level of cooperation would still have been established regardless of the Olympics, or if the Olympic venues were not constructed on unceded First Nations lands, is an open question. The Leaders of the First Nations are full partners in the Olympic bid and development process (Four-Host-First-Nations, 2008) and in figure 1 the traditional territory of each nation (as put forth in their Statement of Intent for the land claim process) is outlined.

It is clear, however, that not every sector of the affected First Nations communities, or those who stand in solidarity with them are happy with the agreements which were made on their behalf by their elders and the colonial and neo-liberal governments of British Columbia and Canada (Kellar, 2008).

The Olympics is a global spectacle event that is held every two years in different cities around the world and is a major driver for real estate development and land privatization. The Olympics are no longer about excellence in sports and culture, it is a capitalist, neo-liberal machine which now aims at maximizing profits for the real estate developers and other financial elite and land owners in the host cities.

The members of the Board of Directors (BoD) for the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC), who are responsible for organizing, developing and hosting the Olympics, come from a varied background. However, at least 8 are well connected to real estate and development industries. It may be understandable that VANOC sought members that understood development and construction as the Olympics does require mass amounts of development to occur in a short time frame, and any such undertaking needs to be overseen by those with knowledge in the field. But based on the info provided, of the 20 VANOC BoD members, 8 are deeply engrained in the real-estate development market, and none of the 20 has any university level certifications in sustainability, environmental resource management and related fields, or social-system well being or complex systems health and related fields. Additionally, there is only one member on the board representing First Nations Communities, and none representing the impoverished residents of the at risk community of Vancouver’s Downtown East Side (VANOC, 2008).

With the 3rd pillar requirements laid out by the International Olympic Committee (which promises improvements in the culture and environment in the host cities) and these facts about VANOC’s BoD, questions arise about the true catalyst for entering the contest to bring the games to Vancouver. Was it to show off the beauty of the region and the culture of its peoples; to promote sustainability and environmental stewardship; to empower the inhabitants of the region, and play host to excellence in sport? Or was it to engage in a series of real estate developments, that have devastated local physical and social environments. and that were geared towards profit accumulation and the acquisition of land for a few?

Resistance

Promises were made in the bid for the Vancouver Olympics which have not been kept. These promises include a pledge consult with the affected First Nations regarding Olympic developments, which has occurred - with much opposition to the developments remaining within groups in the affected First Nations.

A second pledge - to not lose any low income housing in the downtown east side, has already been broken. More than 800 bed units have been lost as low income hotels are being bought up and transformed into million dollar condo developments. Homelessness is increasing and at the same time The Vancouver Police are looking to have ‘no sit, no lie’ law implemented effectively outlawing homelessness (Kellar, 2008).

There are still groups opposed to the 2010 Olympics. The Anti-Poverty Committee and the Downtown Eastside Residents association are two such groups and they want VANOC to be accountable to their promises or no loss of low income housing. These groups protest at any media events related to the Olympics chanting slogans of ‘Homes not Games.’ Also of interest is the idea of ‘No Games on Stolen Land’ which is explained on a First Nations hosted a web site called No2010.com which has the following banner as a motto:

This web site provides updates of resistance to the 2010 Olympic machine and background information on why the campaign exists. The web site hosts the following message with a plea for solidarity and a convergence against the Olympics:

“Calling on all native warriors, anarchists, anti-capitalists, anti-poverty activists, environmentalists, and concerned individuals, to converge against the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

In February 2010 the Winter Olympic Games and its supporters will be converging on Vancouver, Whistler, and surrounding unceded native land in Coast Salish Territories.

Let them know that it will not be business as usual and that where ever the neo-colonial beast spreads its parasitic tentacles that the people will rise to sever them.

Converge against the Olympics and let our voices be heard!

No Olympics on Stolen Native Land!
No Social Cleansing!
No Environmental Destruction!” (No2010, 2008)

From these resistance groups and calls for action it seems obvious that the social, economic and cultural impacts of hosting the Olympics has not been fully recognized or comprehensively studied by the governments who drafted these agreements nor leaders of the First Nations ratified them.

Figure 1 - Traditional Four Host First Nations' Territory

(Integrated-Land-Management-Bureau, 2008)

Resources

- No Olympics on Stolen ground - http://www.no2010.com

- Olympic Watch – http://www.2010watch.com

- Five Ring Circus - http://www.thefiveringcircus.com/

-Journalists for human rights Olympics Issue
http://www.peaceculture.org/drupal/jhr-olympics

- Anti Poverty Committee - http://apc.resist.ca/home.html

- Downtown East Side Residents Association - http://www.dera.bc.ca/

- Coalition to Save the Eagle Ridge Bluffs – http://www.eagleridgebluffs.ca

- The Library at Simon Fraser University has a 2010 Olympic Site as well-
http://www.lib.sfu.ca/researchhelp/subjectguides/rem/olympics2010.htm

Reference List

City-of-Vancouver. (2008). Olympic Venues. Retrieved July 10th, 2008, from http://ns.vancouver.ca/olympics/images/venues/map.jpg

Four-Host-First-Nations. (2008). FHFNS - About us. Retrieved July 10th, 2008, from http://www.fourhostfirstnations.com/about.html

Integrated-Land-Management-Bureau. (2008). Map 2 - First Nations Territory in the Plan Area [Electronic Version]. Retrieved July 21st 2008 from http://www.ilmb.gov.bc.ca/slrp/lrmp/surrey/s2s/plan/gisdata.html.

Kellar, Dan. (2008). The Application of Environmental Impact Assessment Legislation to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games Venue and Infrastructure Developments. Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo.

No2010. (2008). No 2010 Olympics on Stolen Native Land. Retrieved July 12th, 2008, from http://no2010.com/node/97

The-Vancouver-Sun. (2008). Bound For Glory. Retrieved July 10th, 2008, from http://media.canada.com/b2fd399c-8611-4580-92ea-44f66ab1b1a2/vancouvervenuesmap.jpg

VANOC. (2008). Board of Directors. Retrieved July 7th, 2008, from http://www.vancouver2010.com/en/OrganizingCommittee/AboutOrganizingCommittee/BoardDirectors

Whistler-British-Columbia. (2008). Map Of Whistler. Retrieved July 10th, 2008, from http://www.tofinobcbritishcolumbia.com/maps/whistler-maps/whistler-center.gif