Feb 2010 Anti Olympics Convergence

ALL OUT AGAINST THE 2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES!

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 Convergence is called for Feb 10-15:

- Wed Feb 10- Thurs Feb 11: Olympic Resistance Summit

- 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, at: http://2010welcoming.wordpress.com/

- Sat Feb 13. 2010 Heart Attack: Street March to Clog the Arteries of Capitalism. Arrive at 8:30 am in Thornton Park (Main and Terminal). This demonstration will respect diversity of tactics and aims to disturb "business as unusual" on the first day of the Games!

- 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/

- Mon Feb 15: Noon at Pigeon Park (Carrall and Hastings). No empty talk, no empty lots! March & Defend a Tent City. Organized by DTES-based, anti-poverty, and housing rights groups.

ADDITIONAL EVENTS:

We will also be updating this description and our website with additional anti-Olympic events occurring during the entire month of February: http://olympicresistance.net or http://no2010.com

- Wednesday Feb 3 from 7-9 pm. The Olympics are Coming, Let's Yack! WISE Hall, 1882 Adanac Street. Planning, sharing Olympic resistance activities. Organized by Community Olympics Watch.

- Friday Feb 5 till Monday Feb 8: Indigenous Peoples Assembly in Secwepemc Territories. For Indigenous people only. For information email nymcommunications@gmail.com. Full callout posted at: http://mostlywater.org/indigenous_peoples_assembly_2010

- Saturday Feb 6. Empowerment 2010 Tour at the HD Lab (1814 Pandora St). Performances by The Outspoken Wordsmiths, Testament, Illogik and El Vuh. Doors at 8pm show at 9pm. $5 to $10 suggested donation no one turned away. A benefit for the Vancouver Media Co-op.

- Sunday Feb 7. 3rd Annual Poverty Olympics in the DTES. Relay starts at 12:30 at VANDU (380 East Hastings St.), 1-3 pm at Japanese Hall (487 Alexander St) Free, family event. http://povertyolympics.ca/

- Sunday Feb 14. People's Prom. The most kick ass antidote to Valentine’s Day in the city. You like funk and frolic? Love and revolution? Perfect. All money raised goes toward grassroot, direct action and creative resistance groups engaged in the resistance to the 2010 Olympics. http://peoplesprom.resist.ca/

- Saturday, Feb 20. Rally for a National Housing Program from noon-2 pm, north Side of Vancouver Art Gallery. The UN now calls Canada's housing crisis, 'a national emergency.' Come join this rally to pressure the federal government to once again re-establish a national housing program in Canada. Organized by Impact on Communities Coalition.

* LOGISTICAL INFORMATION:

1) Crossing the border: http://olympicresistance.net/content/crossing-border-canada

2) Need housing? http://olympicresistance.net/content/housing-request-form

3) 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) NEW Wish List: Callout for support and supplies: http://olympicresistance.net/content/orn-wish-list

2) 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 or subscribe directly at https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/orn-announce.

3) 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 Feb 2010, please do let us know and stay in touch.

4) 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!

5) 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.

6) Spread the word about the convergence! Forward this notice to your contacts, download posters and flyers about the convergence from our website and pass them on!

7) 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 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: Eight Reasons to Oppose the 2010 Winter Olympics: http://vimeo.com/4872922

* ABOUT US:

The ORN supports the international resolution passed by over 1500 Indigenous delegates at the Intercontinental Indigenous Peoples Gathering in Sonora, Mexico to “boycott the 2010 Olympic Games” based on Resolution #2 of the Gathering which states “We reject the 2010 Winter Olympics on sacred and stolen territory of Turtle Island–Vancouver, Canada”. Based on this call, our organizing as natives and non-natives alike is largely being done under the slogan of "No Olympics on Stolen Native Land".

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WEBSITE: olympicresistance.net
EMAIL: olympicresistance@riseup.net