While many of their fellow citizens cheered on Team Canada in the gold-medal hockey game, a few hundred people took to the streets of Vancouver to protest the 2010 Winter Olympics on their closing day.
They gathered on Sunday afternoon (February 28) near B.C. Place before marching to Main and Hastings and the Olympic Tent Village in the Downtown Eastside.
Along the way, protesters heard from speakers, occupied intersections, received jeers from Olympic revelers, and honoured deceased activist Harriet Nahanee.
Here's a look at the protest, billed by organizers as "Games Over! Resistance Lives!", in pictures.
Video: Anti-Olympic protest meets opposition, honours fallen activist as Vancouver Games close
You can follow Stephen Hui on Twitter at twitter.com/stephenhui.
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Comments
Protesting the Olympics right after Canada wins gold in men's hockey, in Canada no less, seems like about the worst possible timing. I'm not saying that I disagree with their message, but consider your audience. Also there is nothing like a bunch of quasi professional protesters from Ontario to lend legitimacy to your cause: "A member of the Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario speaks." If BC Aboriginals are upset about the Olympics being on their land, let them speak for themselves.
Looks like the Police had their hands full once again, this time keeping the protesters and the drunk hockey fans seperated.
To be fair to the drunk fans, if the protesters were making so much noise that it was drowning out the Men's Gold Medal Game, then then they had every right to be upset, and I'm sure I would have had a similar reaction.
the hate coming from some of these citizens towards the protesters at an event like this is shameful. showing their true flag-wrapped colours...
Harriet Nahanee "Tseybayot 1935 – February 24, 2007, a survivor of the residential school system, was from the Pacheedaht First Nation.
She was sentenced two weeks provincial jail at the Surrey pre-trial centre, January 2007 for criminal contempt of court for fighting to protect the Eagle Ridge Bluffs wetlands, from the Sea-to-Sky Highway expansion in preparation for the Olympics. Harriet and Betty Krawzyk set up tents and blocked the bulldozing of the Eagle Ridge bluff area .. her concern was for the animals, eagles and other animals..She was already ill with flu and asthma upon arrival but was refused treatment. Days after her release she was admitted to hospital.
On the evening of February 23, the Indigenous Action Movement held at candlelight vigil outside the hospital .. A family member helped her call us outside.. where Harriet sang us a prayer song and told us to stay strong, in her weakened voice. It was very emotional.
Doctor's tests discovered that Harriet suffered from lung cancer. She died of complications to pneumonia at St. Paul’s Hospital February 24. So obviously, during her stint in the cold jail, she was suffering.
To date there is no inquiry called into her death.
March 5th, 2010 Justice Brown will sentence Harriet's friend and comrade, Krawczyk for her fight for the Eagleridge Bluffs.
With respect,
Kat Norris
Indigenous Action Movement.. aka 'some woman' :o)
I updated the photo cutline.
You come in and set-up wherever you like, set-up security against "trespassers" as if you have more claim to the land than anyone else, and you yell at anyone taking photos to come and ask for "permission" while you do whatever you feel like. Do you expect to be taken seriously? You advocate "freedom" while refusing everyone else's right to use, live in, or enjoy the area.
You claim it's a peaceful protest, and then engage in belligerent acts like throwing cans of paint all over the road and sidewalk in front of my place, hold impromptu soccer games after midnight, beat your drums and sing about resistance, and scream at anyone and everyone who disagrees with you - all while waving video cameras in the face of police for the gross misconduct of protecting someone *else's* rights - at all hours of the morning, every morning.
Someone once said that Fascism would come disguised as Anti-Fascism, and after bearing witness to the hypocritical joke that is tent city, I see that is exactly what you are. I don't like the Olympics, I don't like Concord Pacific particularly, and I hate the Conservative government, but you're acting in exactly the same manner. So maybe it's time to stop acting like entitled crybabies, sleeping all day and partying all night and be constructive and contribute to society like the rest of us.
Oh, and I will do whatever it takes to ensure you never get what you want.
Now that the Olympics are over, are you still going to protest the fact that the money has already been spent and the event is over? Just to get in the news some more.
The amount of infrastructure and money that came into and will come into the city of Vancouver is immense and in a time when the rest of the world is in a recession any money is good.
You really lost me when you allowed destruction of property to The Bay. If you had stepped in to stop the vandalism, you would have had many listening and may well have gained momentum for your cause(s). Your opportunity was lost forever and the fact that property damage occured in front of children and youth is disgusting.
Any further negative comments by those who are not transparent enough to use their own names and hide behind nicknames are not worth responding to.
Kat Norris, Coast Salish, Valdez Island
Indigenous Action Movement
I just don't see it as very convincing to claim that Harriet Nahanee died because of the Olympics. From looking around at various websites and Kat Norris' post it's pretty apparent that Nahanee wasn't in the best of health before going to jail (having the flu and asthma) for 9 or 14 days (it isn't clear from the various sites that I've looked at how long she actually spent in jail). However, it isn't very apparent that she was in particularly bad health either. Despite the claimed denial of medical treatment while she was in jail, I haven't been able to find any mention of her immediately going to the hospital or a doctor's office after her release in order to obtain medical attention. In fact from all the reports I can find, she didn't head to the hospital until a week after being released from jail. So it doesn't sound like her health got much worse while she was in jail. Did she even ask for medical attention while she was in jail? What can of medical attention did she request? Did she seek out medical attention before she went to jail?
As far as the painfulness of her death goes, this may sound a bit crass, but from most accounts I've heard of people dying of cancer, it's almost never a particularly comfortable and pleasant process. From the limited information available to me, it sounds like Nahanee's death wasn't much worse than that of most other people dying of lung cancer, and it was probably a lot better than many others. Yes it sucks that she spent 9-14 days in jail during her last month alive, but it's really difficult to predict the future.
It would be a lot easier to support your cause if the claims that were being made were more believable. But saying that a 71 (72? 73?) year-old woman who had lung cancer and subsequently contracted pneumonia and died was murdered by the state is just too big a leap in logic to make without substantially more evidence.
I have a great deal of sympathy for the protesters and their cause, but if they wanted to make headlines this march should have happened a week earlier, before the Olympics reached a fever pitch.
And Kat, when you have won,do you plan to re-introduce slavery? After all, your traditional economy was built on it.
He says when you're on the ground, you can only see a small piece of what's going on.
He says reports from the operation centre can show where a problem is developing."
And debt keeps marching on.....
And will we ever know how many American military, FBI, CIA, NSA, Homeland Security, FEMA, and other unwelcome foreigners were operating on Canadian soil, in (and under) Canadian waters, and in Canadian airspace on account of this overblown frat party?
Oh what a sticky web she weaves! Too bad, because she missed a kick ass hockey game!!
They printed everything up to the PS
Aside from the headline which I found very offensive the first thing I noticed was your "prouder than a peacock" attitude towards the fact that you had no problem finding parking for your minivan so close to Robson Square
I guess you are unaware that people are being asked to leave their vehicles at home and take transit to the downtown area.
Regarding the protesters-I do not agree with the behavior of the few who wore black masks and caused damage and fear in the downtown, however for you to write off all demonstrators as having lost all credibility is like me saying the Olympic crowd it out of control because a few partiers puked outside one of the venues serving alchohol.
The thing that really saddens me the most is the fact that in alot of cases the demonstraters are seen as trouble makers, low-lifes, unemployed hippies etc etc-when really you should be supporting them or in the very least allowing them their opportunity to express their concerns without putting them down
It is obvious to me that you have no idea of the corruption involved within the IOC or the fact that many (if not all) of the sponsors have horrible track records when it comes to environmental damage, human rights issues, support of weapons manufacturing, support for the Alberta Tar Sands etc etc. Why don't you look into what's happening in Columbia between Coca Cola and their workers?
As far as freedom of speech and legitimate avenues-you make it all sound sooooo simple
Do you not think that people have been fighting this since day one! I highly recommend you watch "Five Ring Circus" an eye opening documentary explaining the real cost and impact that the games have on our city, our province, our country and any other host city at future games.
I also highly recommend that you refrain from referring to the protesters as a "stain on Olympic family fun"-considering the fact that they are dedicating their time and effort to bring so many issues to the forefront while the rest of the city/country is partying, I think they deserve a little more respect.
PS Personally I think the real reason there is a fence around the Olympic cauldron is to protect all the big wigs during their photo-ops, from getting a well deserved pie in the face
MB
Read... my ... statements... b4 commenting...
I did .... read ... your .... statements
Did you not say "This land is our land, always has been always will. It was unjustly taken from us."
So wasn't that me you were referring to? Aren't you saying that I was the one who unjustly took your land away from you? And if I have no right to be here, that would make me illegal, right?
If that's not what you meant, please forgive the misunderstanding.
The pictures showed us all once again that this was a group of protesters that show up to every protest/march that occurs in our city. How many different things were being protested? Its ridiculous. What did these protests have to do with each other?
I remember working on Robson street over ten years ago and seeing the same nonsensical protests then. Glad to see these people have not moved on.
Also... HUGE FAIL!!!! A protest during the gold medal hockey game? Other than the GS, did any other media source even give a $hit?
Sure, the Olympic movement isn't always at its best. What organization is? Any group is subject to the same failings that any person is. But as long as we have Olympics, we have a place for that one exceptional person to stand out in each event.
What's the alternative? The "Nuke the unborn gay baby whales for Jesus" crowd. Real winners they are. For nothing, against everything. Goons protesting goonery.
"If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work" - Thomas J. Watson Sr. If those with legitimate claims against the Olympic movement wish to make any reasonable headway, they need to abandon their caravan of mediocrity and adopt the commitment that only Olympians possess. There's the rub.
Do the best you can, be the best you can, respect others, and celebrate the effort and the achievements that everyone makes. Crass competitiveness and selfishness are repulsive traits. Winning the gold medal is a goal, but it isn't THE GOAL. Win or lose, the real gold is the qualities of character you develop in the process of striving to be the best you can. The real goal isn't being the best in the world at some meaningless stunt. It's becoming a better person.
In short, "It's the doing that counts, not the end result". Learning what good sportsmanship is, and developing that quality, is the only true benefit of the Olympics - or any competition. How you train, how you compete, and how you relate to the other competitors is infinitely more important than whether you win a medal or not.
I wish the media and organizers would try to remember this at times, instead of constantly emphasising the shiny Olympic trinkets that only one in a million competitive athletes will ever win.
And once the Olympic games are over, and the athlete or trainer returns home, they return to the normal world, and themselves, their friends, their family, and communities, and their unique life challenges, like everyone else. And that shiny Olympic medal is unlikely to change anything. Seriously. It won't. The only thing that will make a difference is the lessons one learnt along the journey. That's all you're left with.
I know. I played that game. I spent ten years training for Olympic competition. In the end, the glory will fade, and disappear, and you will be left with what you have inside. And the real gold is the respect you've earned for others' challenges, efforts and accomplishments, and the discovery that if you have faith in yourself, and if you try hard enough, and work together with competent coaches and team mates, and you never give up, then sometimes, once in a million, you can achieve something extraordinary, perhaps push the limits of human achievement, and thereby give hope and encouragement to all the others whose burdens are heavy, or who sense greater possibilities in life.
"Harriet Nahanee "Tseybayot 1935 – February 24, 2007, a survivor of the residential school system, was from the Pacheedaht First Nation.
She was sentenced two weeks provincial jail at the Surrey pre-trial centre, January 2007 for criminal contempt of court for fighting to protect the Eagle Ridge Bluffs wetlands, from the Sea-to-Sky Highway expansion in preparation for the Olympics. Harriet and Betty Krawzyk set up tents and blocked the bulldozing of the Eagle Ridge bluff area .. her concern was for the animals, eagles and other animals..She was already ill with flu and asthma upon arrival but was refused treatment. Days after her release she was admitted to hospital.
On the evening of February 23, the Indigenous Action Movement held at candlelight vigil outside the hospital .. A family member helped her call us outside.. where Harriet sang us a prayer song and told us to stay strong, in her weakened voice. It was very emotional.
Doctor's tests discovered that Harriet suffered from lung cancer. She died of complications to pneumonia at St. Paul’s Hospital February 24. So obviously, during her stint in the cold jail, she was suffering.
To date there is no inquiry called into her death.
March 12th, 2010 Justice Brown will sentence Harriet's friend and comrade, Krawczyk for her fight for the Eagleridge Bluffs."
TO BARB: You go on to again rhetorize: "So wasn't that me you were referring to? Aren't you saying that I was the one who unjustly took your land away from you? And if I have no right to be here, that would make me illegal, right?"
That you feel the need to express yourself as potentially "illegal" is your own, not mine, not my statement. My statement, "This land is our land, always has been always will. It was unjustly taken from us." Is fact.
& so I hope you all have a great life. I have one, and I'm going to move on to do what I do & I hope you get out there to get some fresh air. We all need it.. even though it's not as fresh as once was. International Women's Day Saturday people! I'll be doing the opening at one of them.. but yah.. lest two people here may come to judge my prayer song..I'll not post where! Just kidding! If you knew me, which you don't (before you react, I do realize you don't) you'll find a very nice, easy going, great sense of humor individual, I help where and when I can, which is more often now. as I have lupus & can only work part-time. To all supporters & those who want to live in a sustainable earth.. much love to ya!
Peace Out
Kat Norris
Coast Salish Gramma
March 5th, 2010 Justice Brown will sentence Harriet's friend and comrade, Krawczyk for her fight for the Eagleridge Bluffs."
Yeah and how many years did ol Harriet smoke??? .. but yeah ... must a been that last busy day at the ER and the 2 weeks in jail she got herself into ...sorry what is it you need an Inquiry for?? ... and I hope they hammer that Betty K idiot this time... when will all you people figure out your not changing anything... there is a plan... and it will not be stopped ... this will be an uber Metropolis in 25 years... suck it up and go fight something you have a chance of winning.
The imposition of Bill 13 was a clear attempt to undermine or at least discourage the freedom of expression. The fact that BC and Canadian tax dollars were spent to have the games, but there was only a vote held in Vancouver to ask the population if they supported the idea (2003) is also un-democratic. I think there should have been a vote across the country to see who supported the idea of paying for the games and who didn ´t. A lot of people are telling me ¨the games were funded by corporate sponsors, this money would not have been available without the games ¨ which is true, but what about the part that came from our tax dollars, surely that part could have been used to build schools and hospitals which would have created a lot of jobs in the long term and also would have left us with schools and hospitals instead of stadiums and a highway that a fraction of BC residents and Canadians will ever use.
I don ´t think the death of Harriet Nahanee is being claimed as a murder or necessarily being correlated to the olympics. We can speculate all we want. To me her death highlights the tragedy in our society and many societies which has been to ignore the voices of the people who care about nature and the well being of other humans. It is obvious that corporations benefit from these games hugely. I hear that the marketing of the event was impressive. My pro-olympics friend told me she was happy that the world was coming to Vancouver, to spend money and to drive our economy. I simply disagree. I don ´t think it ´s a good thing when consumption is driven through the roof because it encourages a destructive, meaningless society. When I ask friends why they don ´t get mad about Bill 13 or the surgeries that were cancelled and school programs that were cut, they tell me that the long term benefits will take care of all that. But why do we have to wait for the usually empty promise of some trickledown effect? Why can ´t we act now?
I have come to the sad conclusion that young Canadians care more about having a party than upholding democracy. I agree that the protesters fell short and were a bit unorganized and somebody should have stepped in when they started smashing things, but the people who try to stop the protesters from marching are trying to destroy democracy, they don ´t think it ´s important for people to express a plurality of opinion. There is a disturbing comment above (fan22) that talks about the failure of protesters because of the lack of media coverage. The fact that these protesters were not given more of a voice in the ¨popular ¨ media is a huge problem. If reporters got to the root of the issues and actually investigated the ideas that inspired these protests, more people would understand them and there would be less of a ¨with us or against us ¨ mentality. The fact is that many of the issues such as rising homelessness, cutting programs, the destruction of the environment and land claims are issues that people who support the olympics care about. The problem is that most people are willing to suspend their passion for these issues to join the party, they can ´t resist the temptation to be part of a once-in-a-lifetime fiesta. I ´m tired of living in a place where people are uncritical of the government, don ´t care to ask questions, don ´t push for answers and are generally complacent to the obvious plight of other humans. I ´m tired of people seeing problems and simply accepting their existence because they have always been there instead of actively trying to solve those problems.
Protestors are not a monolithic group. Organising them is like trying to herd cats. You can't expect them all to dance to the same tune, to jump to the same orders, or to agree on issues, priorities, messages, slogans, and protest strategies. They are not particularly well organised, and they generally have little or no budget to work with. So it is unrealistic to expect of them a highly polished public relations campaign, literature, signs, timing, strategies, press releases, etc. The corporations and government do that.
The difference is that the protest and social justice movement have independence, they have principles, they have a heart, they have a soul, they care about truth, people and the planet first, before money and power, and they have creativity. They serve as the conscience of society.
They are not necessarily well organised, neat, consistent, or always right. But they should be encouraged, and their untidy behavior tolerated, and they should be listened to by everyone, because there are pearls in their clutter of messages, and it you listen very closely, sometimes you can hear the voices of angels among their chants, songs, raucous shouts and strident speeches.
Regarding the much debated strategic window smashers. Many people condemned protestors in general for participating in a march along with the Black Bloc, for not restraining them when they were about to damage private property, or for not condemning them or criticizing their behaviour. What you are expecting is unrealistic. Many groups and individuals participate in a protest event or march, people of all ages, faiths and persuasions. They all represent only themselves, not others. They don't know or necessarily care what others are believing or planning to do. And if an aggressive, angst ridden group of young people suddenly pick something up and hurl it, no sensible citizen would or should try to restrain them. That is the job of the police, who were there in numbers sufficient to fight a small war, and armed accordingly. Citizens are not responsible for nor advised to assault other citizens because they think they might commit an act of vandalism. That's a ridiculous argument to make. Even the police aren't authorized to assault someone in anticipation of them commiting an act of vandalism, let alone citizens.
Regarding the expectation that protestors condemn other protestors, that is ridiculous also. There are hundreds of protestors, and hundreds of thousands of their sympathisers. It isn't their concern or responsibility to pass judgement on other protestors, on their views or their conduct. Their concern is to bring awareness to the issues they want addressed. That is all. If a few fringe people think breaking a couple of windows will advance society, then so be it. It takes all types to make a world. Most people don't agree, but it isn't our duty to condemn everyone we don't agree with. If there are a handful of people in Canada who think commiting civil disobedience by doing a few thousand dollars worth of property damage every few years to try to get their message across, and that is Canada's most serious problem with the protest and civil society sector, then I think we have alot to be thankful for. Alot. Think about it.
Thank you all activists, protestors and people of conscience. Without you, our society would be shallow, soul-less and creepy.
Regarding the much debated strategic window smashers. Many people condemned protestors in general for participating in a march along with the Black Bloc, for not restraining them when they were about to damage private property, or for not condemning them or criticizing their behaviour. What you are expecting is unrealistic. Many groups and individuals participate in a protest event or march, people of all ages, faiths and persuasions. They all represent only themselves, not others. They don't know or necessarily care what others are believing or planning to do. And if an aggressive, angst ridden group of young people suddenly pick something up and hurl it, no sensible citizen would or should try to restrain them. That is the job of the police, who were there in numbers sufficient to fight a small war, and armed accordingly. Citizens are not responsible for nor advised to assault other citizens because they think they might commit an act of vandalism. That's a ridiculous argument to make. Even the police aren't authorized to assault someone in anticipation of them commiting an act of vandalism, let alone citizens.
Regarding the expectation that protestors condemn other protestors, that is ridiculous also. There are hundreds of protestors, and hundreds of thousands of their sympathisers. It isn't their concern or responsibility to pass judgement on other protestors, on their views or their conduct. Their concern is to bring awareness to the issues they want addressed. That is all. If a few fringe people think breaking a couple of windows will advance society, then so be it. It takes all types to make a world. Most people don't agree, but it isn't our duty to condemn everyone we don't agree with. If there are a handful of people in Canada who think commiting civil disobedience by doing a few thousand dollars worth of property damage every few years to try to get their message across, and that is Canada's most serious problem with the protest and civil society sector, then I think we have alot to be thankful for. Alot. Think about it.
=================================
I thought I was wasting my time coming back to visit this item which is now over a week old. I am glad I did. Because if I hadn't, I would have missed reading this particularly revealing bit of complete and utter god damned lunacy.
A lot of people wrongly think that the "polarized" or "blood sport" atmosphere of BC politics was created by the politicians. I would urge them to read strategis's post and ask themselves where they think the extremism really comes from.
Rod Smelser