Mississauga 'Spirit Train' Protest, Oct 13

Updated: Mon Oct. 13 2008

ctvtoronto.ca

About 30 protesters showed up at a Mississauga train station Monday to cast a shadow over the Olympic Spirit.

Organizers were hoping the Olympic Spirit train would be met with cheers rather than jeers as it pulled into the Cookstown Go Train station, but dozens of students and native activists used the opportunity to speak out against land rights, the environment and capitalist greed.

"The Olympics are happening on indigenous land and it's happening at the expense of the poor being pushed out of the Vancouver Centre," one activist told CTV Toronto.

More than a dozen police officers stormed the crowd of protesters after they refused to move away from the festivities.

The protests have occurred at each train stop the Olympic Spirit has stopped in.

On Sunday night, authorities had to step in when about 25 people blocked a CP rail line in Woodbridge to protest aboriginal, environmental and poverty issues. One woman even chained herself to the tracks.

Police managed to dismantle the blockade after about an hour.

"They listened to reasoning and they're dispersing," Sgt. Mike Sterchele of York Regional Police told The Canadian Press late Sunday night. "We always like to negotiate these things to a peaceful end."

No arrests were made.

One protester said the blockades are a sign of solidarity.

"This is an act of solidarity with those First Nations on the West Coast," Dan Keller said in a telephone interview with The Canadian Press.

"The ultimate aim of this is of course to stop the Spirit train," he said.

Breanne Feigel, spokesperson for CP Rail, said the company is "concerned" about the protests, particularly when activists put themselves in dangerous situations.

"Certainly in this case, we were extremely concerned as this form of protest poses a serious safety risk," she said.

Vicky Sunohara, an Olympic gold medalist who attended the event in Mississauga, called the protests "discouraging."

"It's discouraging because the Olympics have been such a big part of my life and it's a great time for the world to come together," she said.

Despite the disruptions, the Spirit Parties have managed to prevail.

On Monday, Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion greeted the hundreds of people who attended the Spirit party. Locals were keen to visit Spirit Village where they could try out Olympic events and chat with Olympic athletes.

The free event also featured a special performance by Colin James.

"It's all about moving the Olympic Spirit across Canada, making it not as much about Whistler and Vancouver, but making it the Canadian games," Feigel told CTV Toronto on Monday.

CP Rail said in a news release the train is a "mobile ambassador moving the Olympic spirit to Canadian communities."

The train took off from Port Moody, B.C. on Sept. 21 and headed across Canada.

Cooksville station is the train's eighth stop.

With files from The Canadian Press and a report from CTV Toronto's Naomi Parness