Tag Archives: spectacle

Songs of War: Musical Torture

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The concept of having a song in your head, completely changes the moment you are forced to listen to it over and over again. Could you imagine what a damage a sweet, innocent, childish, television show can bring in times of war? And how music can drive you crazy? Al-Jazeera produced a shocking documentary about the use of music to torture prisoners. In the documentary, the composer of Sesame Street songs, Christopher Cerf, is investigating the use of his songs in for example Guantanamo Bay. He is confused that his creations are being used to torture people for hours and hours.

Torture through music is used to make prisoners speak during interrogations and to make them alienated and unable to think. The documentary is also touching upon the fact that Sesame Street music was used before as a torture technique in 2003 to prisoners from Iraq. The film includes an in-depth interview with Moazzam Begg, also interviewed in Shaker: A Decade of Injustice, about his time in Guantanamo and the use of torture and music.
Worth watching.

Watch the whole documentary here.

Interested in more about Guantanamo Bay?

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Shaker: A Decade of Injustice Trailer

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Spectacle is pleased to announce that the official Shaker: A Decade of Injustice Trailer is online. Spread the word and get Shaker Aamer out of Guantanamo!

Watch the full film here:Shaker: A Decade of Injustice Film

February 2012 marked the tenth anniversary of the last British resident, Shaker Aamer’s capture, extraordinary rendition and incarceration in the notorious prison Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  The controversial detention camp is universally known for its systematic use of torture and indefinite detention.  Having never been charged with a single crime Shaker Aamer has been cleared for release twice by both the Bush and Obama administrations in 2004 and 2009, and yet the reason why he is still imprisoned remains unclear. After years in solitary confinement, Shaker Aamer’s physical and mental state is rapidly deteriorating.

Saudi-born Shaker Aamer lived in Battersea, South West London with his wife and four children. He was captured shortly after 9/11in Afghanistan while he was voluntarily helping to build a school. During this time the United States were offering $5000 per suspect given to them. The alleged original reasons for his capture, his supposed ties with Al-Quaeda, have been dismissed due to lack of evidence.

Shaker Aamer: A Decade of Injustice recounts the story of his unlawful imprisonment, of the torture he has endured and the campaign that is being fought for his freedom. It outlines the possible reason why he hasn’t been released, these include his status in Guantanamo Bay as a leader and spokesperson for the other prisoners, his allegations of the UK governments complicity in his torture, and what he may have witnessed the night of the multiple “Guantanamo suicides”.

This short film (17 minutes) includes interviews with former Guantanamo Bay detainees (Moazzam Begg, Omar Deghayes, Martin Mubanga), his American lawyer Clive Stafford Smith (director of Reprieve), his local MP Jane Ellison, amongst other campaigners, journalists and human rights lawyers. It also features exclusive footage of the ongoing fight for his return taking place in London.

Shaker Aamer: A Decade of Injustice was filmed over the past three years documenting the story of the campaign to free him, their struggle, and the wider political implications of his incarceration. As years went on and nothing changed, the necessity to make the film became more urgent.

Spectacle is engaged in making investigative, community-led documentary films touching on issues such as urbanism, racism and radical philosophy. Outside the Law: Stories from Guantanamo,  The Truth Lies In Rostock and The Battle of Trafalgar are some of the titles Spectacle has released since it started in the ’90s.

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Peaceful Protest: a letter from Shaker Aamer – 15th July 2011

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From Guantanamo detainee to his lawyer (Ramzi Kassem law Professor at City University of New York) addressed to the Guantanamo Governor, President Obama and the US Government.

” I, the signatory below, in Camp 5E (Five Echo) announce the start of a peaceful protest/hunger strike for the reasons enumerated below.

1) The opening and continuing operation of this unjust detention facility for the 9th year of my continuing and indefinite detention in the absence of any real accusation or crimes committed. Therefore I am hostage.

2) The inhumane treatment and deprivation of some of the items we are truly in need of, most importantly of which, are the family calls since they are the most crucial to our families, especially to those experiencing special circumstances.

Therefore I want these calls to take place on a continuing basis and recur once every 15 days. These family calls ought to last no less than 2 hours with further consideration given to those experiencing special circumstances. I also speak for the regular mail to be made more efficient and provide us with email.

3) The inhumane treatment is taking place at the hospital among other areas especially affecting the sick and those who are on strike and our deprivation of real treatment, health, diet and appropriate clothing which are not provided for us nor are we allowed to provide them for ourselves.

4) Not upholding the promise that both your President and Government gave on 01/21/2009 concerning the closing of Guantanamo detention facility, very few people have left ever since, although many here have been deemed to not represent any danger for the United States. Therefore, I ask you to establish justice and remove the injustice that has befallen us and our brothers in all detention centers.

By submitting these demands, I affirm our right to life. We want our freedom and the right to return to our homes since I am innocent of the charges (if there were any) you have levied against us. I ask that you establish justice that you claim to be a foundation of your country.

After these years of hardship we have spent here – and which I manage to do only through the grace of God, otherwise I would have lost my sanity – I want you to consider my case as soon as possible and give me the right to a just and public trial or set me free without conditions.

Shaker Aamer ISN 329″

Following this letter, Shaker Aamer was instrumental in organising a peaceful hunger strike and protest in Guantanamo on the tenth anniversary of the opening of the prison on January 11th 2012

Spectacle has made a short film about Shaker Aamer to mark the 10th anniversary of his incarceration. Watch Spectacle’s new video on Shaker Aamer and please sign the petition @ www.freeshaker.com. Get him out of Guantanamo!

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Shocking: New report from Shaker Aamer’s lawyers “They want me harmed”

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Spectacle has made this short film about Shaker Aamer to mark the 10th anniversary of his incarceration. Watch Spectacle’s new video on Shaker Aamer and please sign the petition @ www.freeshaker.com. Get him out of Guantanamo!

Ramzi Kassem, Professor of Law at City University of New York and lawyer, is one of Shaker Aamer’s US attorneys. These notes, recently unclassified, were made during his visit to Shaker on Shaker on January 27th 2012.

They record Shaker’s words.

“I am being mistreated because I refuse to comply in the face of injustice. Prison authorities keep telling me that I have to become ‘compliant.’ I reply that it is they who have to become compliant.  It is a constant 24 hour struggle. They force me to fight every step of the way. I’m a free man. Don’t try to humiliate me.”

CONDITIONS IN CAMP FIVE ECHO
From July 15th to December 3rd 2011, Shaker was held in total solitary confinement in Camp 5 Echo, – a punishment block for prisoners who are regarded as not compliant or who have too much influence over their fellow prisoners. The cells are half the size of the cells elsewhere, allowing for very little room to kneel for prayers. The cells contain only a steel bed, a squat toilet and two taps. Shaker was confined to his cell for 22 hours day and night with only 2 hours in the recreation yard from 6am to 8am.

“… the squat toilet is difficult to use, there are foul odors, bright lights shine on detainees and air conditioners keep it extremely cold. It is decrepit, filthy and disgusting.”

SLEEP DEPRIVATION
Shaker described the sleep deprivation methods used by the guards, including regularly shining a flashlight in his face and liberally spreading detergent around which filled his cell with a strong smell “so that he couldn’t breathe…so many ways Lucifer can think of… speaking loudly though the night with all kinds of noises- cleaning ,moving things, shaking the locks of the cells, turning the lights on and off…..sleeping in the light..no darkness to sleep..”

DENIAL OF BASIC NEEDS
Another method of punishment was to remove basic comfort items such as combs, toothbrush, and nail clippers. On January 27th, Shaker said, “Today is the first day I take a shower since 3/12/2011 and shave because I am coming to see you.”

Previously he has had to “shower from the toilet, I take water and shower from the same place I take shit”.

Even the Styrofoam plastic cups were banned.

“I have to drink my hot coffee and tea from water bottles.”

FURTHER ABUSE IN CAMP FIVE
On December 3rd, Shaker was moved out of Camp 5 Echo back to Camp 5. However, the punishment continued. Shaker states that he was prohibited from having toothpaste and toilet paper in case he used them to cover the camera in his cell, which monitored his every move.

DAILY FORCED CELL EXTRACTIONS
Every day, from Dec 3rd to his lawyer’s visit on January 27th, Shaker states that he was subjected to “Forced Cell Extractions.” This is a form of cruel treatment used to confuse and disorientate prisoners, often called “frequent flying” and carried out with violence.

“I got beaten up on my knee and my finger is almost broken. Swelled for a few days… they refused to give me any treatment not even a knee brace. Bruises and swelling all over my body. Squeezing my neck so bad I could not breathe. Try to break my hand and fingers. Pressure on my back, stomach and chest, so much pressure. Tight, the plastic cuffs, so tight the blood circulation stop.”

SHAKER IS DENIED MEDICAL CARE
Clive Stafford Smith, Director of the legal charity Reprieve, listed Shaker’s many serious medical problems in his letter to Foreign Secretary William Hague following his visit to Shaker on November 17th 2011. He stated that Shaker was “gradually dying in Guantanamo.” Shaker states that he had received, “No privacy, no medical care whatsoever” in Camp Five Echo.
Shaker’s account to Ramzi Kassem in January 27th ended with this shocking account of his fears for his life.

“THEY WANT ME HARMED”
“Since 3/12/2011, when they moved me out of 5 Echo, I am going to rec. alone and I haven’t seen my doctor for long time and I refuse to take any meds. from the medical staff. I am very worried about my health and my life in this place. I feel so vulnerable and any time they can do anything to me no one knows.”

I have been on hunger strike since 15/7/2011 and my weight went from 208 pounds to 148 pounds but they did not give me the tube to feed me so I start to eat fruit and salad sometimes so I don’t harm my body. I have no doubt they want me to be harmed.

One thing I know for sure if something bad happen to me it happens with the hand of the American. I will never harm myself. I have a wife and kids I want to go back to. Anything happen to me, they done it.   There is so much to say about the evil they do in this place, specially the small things that no one pay attention to it, but one thing you just need to know:

” They control the air we breathe. Control the light, control the noise, control the food, control the water. The control everything and they use it against me any time they want. All that you need to know about this place you just need to read 1984 by George Orwell. I swear to my only Lord there is no human being in this place. Guards with no feeling, they do what they are told, regardless of anything.”

URGENT APPEAL FOR SHAKER AAMER’S RETURN
It is unlikely that conditions have improved for Shaker Aamer since this report of January 27th. Every day he continues to be abused and tortured. Shaker is in fear for his life. His only wish is to be allowed to return to his wife and family in the UK before “anything happens to him.”
Shaker Aamer has been imprisoned in Guantanamo in the harshest of conditions for over ten years, despite having been cleared for release since 2007.

Please do all you can to save Shaker Aamer, his life is in danger.
Time is running out for Shaker. Please join our campaign to demand his return to end his appalling abuse and torture.

Joy Hurcombe
Chair the Save Shaker Aamer Campaign
29.4.2012

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Shaker Aamer: A Decade of Injustice Film Release

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February 2012 marked the tenth anniversary of the last British resident, Shaker Aamer’s capture, extraordinary rendition and incarceration in the notorious prison Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  The controversial detention camp is universally known for its systematic use of torture and indefinite detention.  Having never been charged with a single crime Shaker Aamer has been cleared for release twice by both the Bush and Obama administrations in 2004 and 2009, and yet the reason why he is still imprisoned remains unclear. After years in solitary confinement, Shaker Aamer’s physical and mental state is rapidly deteriorating.

Saudi-born Shaker Aamer lived in Battersea, South West London with his wife and four children. He was captured shortly after 9/11in Afghanistan while he was voluntarily helping to build a school. During this time the United States were offering $5000 per suspect given to them. The alleged original reasons for his capture, his supposed ties with Al-Quaeda, have been dismissed due to lack of evidence.

Shaker Aamer: A Decade of Injustice recounts the story of his unlawful imprisonment, of the torture he has endured and the campaign that is being fought for his freedom. It outlines the possible reason why he hasn’t been released, these include his status in Guantanamo Bay as a leader and spokesperson for the other prisoners, his allegations of the UK governments complicity in his torture, and what he may have witnessed the night of the multiple “Guantanamo suicides”.

This short film (17 minutes) includes interviews with former Guantanamo Bay detainees (Moazzam Begg, Omar Deghayes, Martin Mubanga), his American lawyer Clive Stafford Smith (director of Reprieve), his local MP Jane Ellison, amongst other campaigners, journalists and human rights lawyers. It also features exclusive footage of the ongoing fight for his return taking place in London.

Shaker Aamer: A Decade of Injustice was filmed over the past three years, when Spectacle Productions director Mark Saunders realised that Shaker Aamer’s family were local residents to his office. Saunders felt compelled to document the story of their struggle, and the wider political implications of his incarceration. As years went on and nothing changed, the necessity to make the film became more urgent.

Spectacle is engaged in making investigative, community-led documentary films touching on issues such as urbanism, racism and radical philosophy. Outside the Law: Stories from Guantanamo,  The Truth Lies In Rostock and The Battle of Trafalgar are some of the titles Spectacle has released since it started in the ’90s,

Watch the full film here: Shaker Aamer: A Decade of Injustice Film

Liquid Bombs and Price Explosions

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The fear for agitation during the London Olympics 2012 is tangible. The number of security staff is doubled compared with last year’s plans and this includes a doubling of  the costs for security. This makes the overall cost of the Olympics 2012 so far around ￡11bn. This summer, London will experience the biggest UK military mobilisation since the Second World War. Despite these high security policies, an attempt to smuggle in a fake bomb was successful according to The Sun.

Water bottles that can be used as liquid bombs, are a fear of terror and the reason the Olympic organisation has sharpen the safety policies, which are now turning  into airport safety policies equivalents. Visitors are not allowed to bring their own refreshments anymore, which leads into food prices that are the real criminal activity. A price explosions that is getting out of hand.

Is the organisation taking advantage of the banning of foods and drinks from the area? A sandwich is approximately going to cost ￡4.90  and a hot dog could fetch ￡5.90. Apparently you can expect some high standard food quality, but do cheering people  really fancy a haute cuisine hot-dog while watching sports? You can bring their own baby food snack (without bottle?) though.

Weapons and whistles are also prohibited. And any expression of political or religious opinion in the shape of cheering material are also a no go. Weapons, obviously. But whistles? Well the athletics must be thankful for the ban of whistles, meaning also no Vuvuzela’s which are weapons for the ears and distracting both athletic and supporter. It would have been amazing watching a game of table tennis while listening to a Vuvuzela concert though.

No but really, 6 quid for a hot-dog?

 

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John ‘Black Power Salute’ Carlos speaks in London 21st May 2012

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John Carlos, who marked his medal at the 1968 games with a raised fist ‘black power’ salute, will speak about inequality, resistance and struggle in London on Monday 21st  May 2012 at a meeting organised by members of the RMT trade union on the London Underground and sponsored by the Fire Brigades Union. The famous gesture by John Carlos and fellow medal winner Tommie Smith epitomised resistance to racism.
The world is under the spell of the Olympics 2012. In these times of global gathering around an sports event, resistance is the best Olympic spirit according to Olympic athlete Carlos. Resistance against inequality and being pro human rights.

At the Olympic Games in Mexico City John Carlos created one of the most powerful images of all times. When the American anthem started, he and Tommie Smith bowed their heads and raised their fists to represent the Black Power movement of that time. Their way of dressing and posing represented symbols for working people, black poverty, peace, and lynch mob victims. In defies of the important Olympic rule: no politics. This controversial gesture created huge debates about politics. Carlos’ athletic career was over, but his human rights spirit did not die. He represents personal sacrifice for humanity and equality and this is your chance to hear him speak in real life.

John Carlos will be joined by activist and campaigner  Doreen Lawrence, whose son Stephen was murdered by racists and whose long battle for justice brought the conviction of two of his killers earlier this year. Also on the platform will be Janet Alder, whose brother Christopher died in police custody, and Unite Against Fascism joint secretary Weyman Bennett.
Other speakers include Samantha Rigg-David from the Sean Rigg Campaign for Justice and Change and United Friends and Families Campaign, Sharhabeel Lone of the We are Babar Ahmad Campaign, FBU general secretary Matt Wrack and Mac McKenna, an RMT activist on London Underground.

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Screening of Battle of Trafalgar on May 7, 4:30pm – Free event

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There is a new screening date for the Despite TV documentary Batttle of Trafalgar about the poll tax demonstration this Monday May 7th 4.30 pm. The screening is part of the Bread & Roses Festival organised by studiostrike.

Date: May 7 2012 (Monday, Bank Holiday)
Time: 4:30 pm
Venue: 68 Clapham Manor Street, London SW4 6DX
Or you can refer to this eventbrite page.

The Battle of Trafalgar gives an account of the anti-poll tax demonstration on 31st March 1990, one that is radically different from that presented by TV news. Eyewitnesses tell their stories against a backdrop of video footage showing the day’s events as they unfolded. This is one of the UK’s first camcorder activist films, made from amateur and freelance footage, unseen at the time and portraying a chillingly different vision of events from that shown in the media at the time.

Demonstrators’ testimonies raise some uncomfortable questions: Questions about public order policing, the independence and accountability of the media and the right to demonstrate.

Two decades later and these issues cannot be more prescient. With the rise of new social media and widespread recording technology, as well as increasingly repressive laws and policing powers and a pervasive 24-hour news culture – the relationship between the media and police in relation to the right to protest and the medium of film have only become more complex and problematic, as can be seen through the recent media representation and prosecution of student protesters and rioters.

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The Relationship Between Visual Anthropology and Documentary Film

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Anthropology (the study of cross-cultural human sociality) has only been made possible with the expansion of transport and communication links that allowed the first Anthropologists to research and study other cultures. As a result of this, Anthropology is a relatively young subject, being first taught in the late eighteenth century. The subject developed during a time of industrial and technological expansion that some Anthropologists embraced. Some of the early ethnographers such as Evans-Pritchard used photography to illustrate and enrich their work. Since the cost and access to film has become more available an increasing number of Anthropologists have begun to utilise film in their research which has created an off shoot of Visual Anthropology.

The use of film in social research raises ethical and theoretical issues such as the power relations between the filmmaker and the participants, more specifically if the camera is an instrument of surveillance. Does the filmmaker have the right to videotape indigenous communities? Issues of misrepresentation of certain communities could unintentionally cause harm. There are problems of translating anthropological abstract concepts, such as kinship onto film. Many Anthropologists dismiss the use of film in their work as it raises too many epistemological problems for them. However, these concerns can be reduced if ethnographers follow certain guidelines when producing films. Anthropologists can use a framework that some documentary filmmakers follow.

Documentary filmmakers such as Spectacle Productions ascribe to ethical guidelines that aim to respect the subjects in the film. This means to be responsive and respectful of what people want and do not want filmed as well as working collaboratively from a grassroots stance point to give the participants a voice as well as representing the film’s subject’s in a way they want to be presented.

The issue of power relations with filmmaker and participants can be solved through participatory and collaborative film making. Filmmaker and participants make decisions together on what they shoot, the access allowed and the content filmed. Another approach is to give the participants being filmed the cameras which is a form of community video. Many indigenous communities, especially those in the Amazon have utilised film for land rights activism or to promote their cultures to a wider audience.

Misrepresentation as a potential problem can be solved again with participation from the communities by having a pre-screening of the film with a representative with the community being filmed. If this is not possible due to distances or other obstacles another way is to speak with the participants during the filming explaining and demonstrating transparently what your aim of the film is.

 On a theoretical note, while to film the abstract notion of ‘culture’ is beyond difficult one can film the material and visual world that can convey aspects of ‘culture’. Filming events such as religious rites, celebrations and every day life help to build a picture that conveys lived-in cultural experience.

The idea of creating a totally unbiased and objective ethnographic film is problematic as it will always be framed by the filmmakers prejudices, as with any ethnographic write-up. One cannot escape this fact, therefore the best way forward is to realise these limitations and to go forward to create the film.

The benefits of including ethnographic films can significantly add depth to social research. Anthropology can use film to showcase elements of culture hat are sometimes overlooked, for example nuances in speech and movements that are not always written about in ethnographic monographs. Film can be utilised in a variety of ways: as reference material for write-ups, examples or illustrations of particular concepts, as well as bringing ethnographic data together in a tangible and understandable format that can be understood by a wider audience.

Anthropologists and social researchers wishing to make ethnographic films can look to Documentary Film as a model to answer some ethical and aesthetic problems that the film format raises.

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BP’s Unsustainable Olympic Sponsorship

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The Counter Olympics Network (CON) held a conference on the 14th April at the Bishopsgate Institute where they discussed the problems that the 2012 Olympics has caused and planned points of action for the coming months to tackle such issues.

They were joined by international speakers Derrick Evans from the Gulf Coast Fund for Community Renewal and Ecological Health, Bryan Parras from the Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (t.e.j.a.s) and Clayton Thomas Muller from the Indigenous Environmental Network. Together they spoke about how their projects have been affected by previous Olympics. More specifically on the issues of corporate sponsoring, pollution, gentrification and surveillance that the Olympic Games bring to cities.

Derrick Evans

 Derrick Evans Representing the Gulf Coast Fund for Community Renewal and Ecological Health

BP is one of the sponsors for the London 2012 Olympics, as the ‘Official Oil and Gas Partner’ as well as sponsoring the USA Olympics Team. The corporate sponsorship of the Games by BP has angered campaigners who want to publicise the adverse effects BP contributed to the natural environment. Derrick Evans is one such campaigner who argues that BP’s involvement with the Olympics is an attempt to divert attention from its “incomparable contributions to unsustainability globally”.

He gives the example of the Deepwater Horizon Spill when BP discharged two hundred million gallons of crude oil into the gulf of Mexico in 2010 and then “applied nearly two million gallons of chemicals dispersant of Correxics not clean up, but to hide because it has the effect of breaking the oil up.” This has resulted in oil particles being consumed by the smallest life forms in the gulf and therefore infiltrating the whole food chain. Two years on the oil is still present and washes ashore in the Northern Gulf.

This has resulted in economic damage and health problems for the local people. In particular, the local fishing communities have been badly affected as two of their fishing seasons have been completely destroyed and very few of them have “received anything near the level, if anything at all, the level of compensation to compensate them for the lost income and the lost investment in their one asset, which is their boat, and their nets; and the things that they pour all their money into, to get ready for the fishing season.”

The health of the local population has deteriorated considerably since the oil spills. “Thousands, tens of thousands children and adults are exhibiting in large scale, physical symptoms: respiratory issues, skin issues, loss of short-term memory, a lot of the same issues, they don’t know each other.” And these people have not received any compensation, “they haven’t received a dime.” What is more worrying is that not a single cent of BP’s twenty billion dollar Gulf Coast Trust Fund has “pay for a single medical bill for a single person”.

The aim of the Gulf Coast Fund is to “seeks to assist and renew and empower the most vulnerable of the communities and ecosystems on the gulf coast.” The very same ones that have been affected by the BP Oil Spills.

Therefore, the idea that BP being a major sustainability sponsor is ridiculous as the environmental and human damage that BP has caused through oil spills undermines its attempts to be a “sustainabilty sponsor” of the Olympics. “BP has essentially got away with murder in the country and in a part of the country where the state officials and the government agencies that defer to them are like useless law enforcement.” Derrick Evans concludes to say that: “I want to encourage to those of you who want to shed the truth and light on this apparently multi faceted fiasco.”

Bryan Parras

 Bryan Parras Representing the Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (t.e.j.a.s)

Bryan Parras is a campaigner from Houston, Texas who is also campaigning against BP and their involvement with the Olympics. He described BP as a “repeat offender” as they repeatedly have accidents and problems. Five years before the Deepwater Horizon Accident BP had an explosion where 15 workers were killed. BP are “constantly cutting corners and cutting back on their safety measures.” But at the same time they are spending huge amounts of money by sponsoring the Olympics.

Bryan Parras sees the “Olympics as just another one of those opportunistic moments where capitalism sort of comes in and reigns its terror on folks.” It’s like watching little league baseball in the stadiums, where “everyone is watching their children and their friends play ball” while their cars get broken into all the time. This seems to happen wherever the Olympics go, everyone is so “focused on where the lights are all shining that we are not seeing what’s happening” to the local communities.

Clayton Thomas Muller

 Clayton Thomas Muller Representing the Indigenous Environmental Network

Clayton Thomas Muller is an activist for indigenous rights and environmental justice and lead campaigner of the Tar Sands campaign. The Indigenous Environmental Network comprises of indigenous people in the United States who have been affected by unsustainable development. BP’s involvement in the exploitation of the Tar Sands on the East coast of Canada has angered both campaigners and local indigenous communities as the extraction industry is unsustainable, causes irreversible damage to the environment and illegally encroaches on disputed indigenous lands.

“It is important to understand that for us BP using the Olympics spectacle, the biggest sporting spectacle on the planet. We all know, for those of us who have done the history of the Olympics, that the Olympics is nothing more than a mechanism for the neoliberal capitalist agenda that is essentially a real estate operation to utilize and justify the expropriation of vulnerable communities.”

Vancouver Protests Image by (c) Jason Levis

In Vancouver, the Coalition Olympics Resistance Network or ORN organised and challenged corporate sponsors of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. One campaign, called ‘No Olympics on Stolen Native Lands’ brought together different groups who were fighting for Native rights and sovereignty platforms in opposition to the Olympics. The Olympics caused the gentrification in downtown Vancouver where the local communities have been pushed out to make way for villages for the athletes and tourists. This gentrification mostly affected disadvantaged groups: low income, indigenous urban-based people.

As well as the gentrification of downtown Vancouver the Olympics had caused the destruction and desecration of sensitive ecological regions in and around Vancouver. In order to build the training facilities Eagleridge Bluff, a bald Eagle nesting site and a site that is sacred to the local tribal people. One Elder of the local tribe, Harriet Nahanee organised a campaign to protect Eagle Bluff by creating a blockade to stop machines from coming in. Elder Harriet Nahanee was arrested and contracted Pneumonia in prison and died. “So she died for Olympic resistance, standing up for her rights.”

The Olympics has also caused the increased surveillance in Vancouver. Vancouver is now the second most videotaped city on the planet next to London. Personal privacy has been negotiated as the CCTV cameras are still there. “And so what the Olympics really brought in was a new regime of both militarization and criminalization of the poor, gentrification of the most vulnerable communities, the destruction of ecologically sensitive sites [and] sacred sites to local indigenous people.”

Campaigners are therefore concerned with how the Olympics “created division that used poverty and alleviation as a way to divide different social movements that were converging onto the Olympics.” Clayton Thomas Muller concludes to say that it is absurd that BP is a sustainability partner of the Olympics, “it is nothing more than greenwashing of their horrific human rights abuses and crimes of ecocide against the sacredness of the earth”.

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