Behind the Scenes of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics
February 27th, 2010 § 2 Comments
As the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver come to a close, and people prepare for the greatest celebrations the city has seen yet, anti-homelessness activists continue to work to bring attention to their struggle which has been significantly intensified by the event. In addition to being considered among the top most beautiful cities in the world, Vancouver is also home to the poorest postal code in Canada. Activists who campaigned ardently against the 2010 Olympic bid foresaw the problems that would come with the event: people displacement, the decrease of funding to social assistance programs, a heightened private security presence and the introduction of anti-dissident laws. These are just a few reasons why they protested against the government’s intention to pour increased taxpayer dollars into a commercial event, rather than into programs and initiatives designed to care for local men, women and children who continue to go without proper housing, and in some cases, live in third world conditions.
According to activist and writer Harsha Walia:
Much like the failed financial commitments, the IOC and Vanoc have failed on their token social promises, which included protecting rental housing and ensuring that people are not made homeless. The reality is that Vancouver has experienced a 300-percent increase in homelessness since the Olympic bid, while approximately 1,600 new market housing and condominium units are being built around the Downtown Eastside.
So too has independent media been forced to fight against increased pressure to remain silent about the many negative attributes of the Olympics. In the words of renowned Sports writer David Zirin:
Officials are feeling the anger, and the independent media, frighteningly, is paying the price. Just as Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman was held in November for trying to cross the border for reasons that had nothing to do with the Olympic Games, Martin Macias Jr., an independent media reporter from Chicago, was detained and held for seven hours by Canada Border Services agents before being put on a plane and sent to Seattle.
With much of the world’s eyes on Vancouver, it is now more important than ever for people to pay attention to the city’s voiceless and ask themselves what “Olympic spirit” translates into when people celebrate in comfort and luxury in one part of the city, while others struggle to find something to eat, or a warm place to sleep, just minutes away.
The following short clip features the “Olympic Tent Village,” which was set up by Vancouver activists who have been working tirelessly to keep it from being shut down by the police.
You can learn more about the Olympic Tent Village by checking out this article. To visit the Olympic Tent Village official website and to find out how you can help, click here.
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