Olympic Resistance in Stratford, ON

UPDATE JUNE 4, from SAFE:
Stratford--On Monday June 1st members of SAFE, AW@L and KW-ARA took over the band shell next to the Stratford festival opening night and set up there anti Olympic hamlet, despite previous comments from Mayor Matheson that the band shell would not be available for use and no tents would go up. The purpose of this event was to let the festival and city of Stratford that the Olympic torch and gentrification of Stratford is unacceptable. The Stratford festival opening night was attended by over 15 influential politicians, including Michael Ignitef and Flarety, rich CEOS and other such people who have power to make decisions about such things as the Olympics attacks on first nations and poor people. The festival is also the reason why Stratford is gentrified every year by getting rid of the undesirables to make it safe for tourists.

The event was heavily attended by police, including riot cops, intelligence agents and regular cops who where there to defend the rich peoples right to glorify there filthy lifestyle.

After several performances and speaking protesters marched with a banner stating “no Olympics on stolen native land” up to the side walk next to the festival where they were visible to those attending who were defended by police. Protesters ,heavily out numbered by cops, were warned that stepping on the grass would result in charges and from the look of how the cops were armed probably a beating.

Speeches were given explaining why we are against the Olympics and gentrification in Stratford and protesters then went back to the band shell to chill until opening curtain when they returned to the front of the festival to continue protesting.

All in all the event was a success and we will continue to fight!!!!

It takes a spark to start a praire fire
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To: orno@peaceculture.org
Date: Fri, 29 May 2009 17:16:19 -0400
Subject: [ORN-O] Respone to cities attack on june 1st protests

This is a responce to attacks made by the mayor and the head of the festival to the local paper.....we need all people to come out and support the june 1st action as we r preparing 4 physical attack

After reading the article in The Beacon Herald "Ichim targets opening night," I felt it was appropriate to respond to some allegations made by Mr. Matheison and Cimolino. If one studies logic one understands that there are several flaws in arguements that stop one from reaching the truth, the most know of these flaws is called "poisoning the well" in which a person responds to a logical arguement by ignoring the arguement and attacking the person who makes the arguement. By attacking my motivations and stating that I am using a "noble cause to get attention for myself " He is in effect ignoring the problems that I have stated and instead criminalizing and dismissing my views.

The issues at hand are two fold 1. are human rights abuses occurring to poor people and first nations people in Vancouver as a result of the olympics........If the answer is yes and it is such a "noble cause" then why is the city allowing the torch to come to stratford without taking a stand against this? Countrary to Mr. Mathesions comments several attempts have been made to address this issue and talk about it with the city that have been ignored. This includes presenting to city council in Dec. and calling on the city to take a stand on this issue, attempting to talk to Mr. Matheson about this at a pre arranged rally in Jan. which he skipped out on leaving his office 10 minutes before the event was to begin and approuching the tourism office with our concerns about this issue. Mr. Mathesion knows how to get ahold of me and if there was a way to resolve this issue in the usual manner then obviously it would be resolved. The reality if speople are being displaced in vancouver native land is being destroyed and for people whose livleyhood depends on this it is a life and death issue since it is there lives that are being affected. To simply say that the cause is noble but do nothing about it does not solve the issue, and attacking the person who brings it up serves no purpose other then to divert the issue and make it an issue of personality as opposed to a social justice issue that it is.

2. In terms of having the rally at queens park on opening night, the question is not where or not I am for arts and culture or against the 1 thousand jobs that the festival creates but rather are there any negative effects resulting from our dependency on tourism? Car manufacturers also produce many jobs but that does not mean that we should not be critical of the negative impact of automakers on the enviroment.Since 2006 many of these issues such as the removal of "undesirable" elements such as homeless people by giving them bus ticketsto leave the city have not been addressed. As well the issue that local artists and performers are sidelined because they dont fit in the shakesphere model of what stratford should be like and many dont even have a venue to perform is also an issue. Nor has the fact that our tourism based economy is to blame for the tough lean winter months due to the fact that we spend our money on flowers and other such things instead of investing in social programs and industry that can lift us out of this cycle.

Our rally at queens park means to address these issues and contrary to what Mr.Cimolino says it is not us trying to silence the arts by raising these issues but rather it is the festivel trying to silence protest by stating indirectly that any critism of the festival makes u an enemy of arts and culture.

It takes a spark to start a praire fire
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Because the city of Stratford is allowing the Olympic Torch to come here, despite the international outcry against the destruction of Native Land to encourage tourism.......

Because all the city cares about is tourism and not its own people.......

Because all other methods to stop the torch in Stratford have been tried............

Because the police always do sweeps before the Festival.....

Because there is a lack of affordable housing in Stratford and poor people are still getting shipped to other cities........

We will target tourism and demand......

NO OLYMPICS ON NATIVE STOLEN LAND!!!!!!!NO GENTRIFICATION IN UPTOWN STRATFORD!!!!
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To learn more about why AW@L is opposing the 2010 Olympics, come out to the our No2010 info night at the KW Community Centre for Social Justice (KWCCSJ), 63 Courtland in Kitchener, June 18 2009 at 7pm.