Prince George Protests Olympic Torch Relay

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By 250 News
Friday, January 29, 2010 07:14 PM

Prince George, B.C.-As the Olympic torch relay got underway in Prince, two protests were getting underway.

Just a block from the start of the relay, about 50 people gathered in front of the School District 57 offices on Ferry Avenue to send a message to the Premier that cuts hurt kids. They were protesting the proposed school closures brought on by a $7 million dollar shortfall inthe School District's budget. They carried placards and banners and encourage passersby to honk their horns. There was a lot of honking going on.

About an hour later, on 15th Avenue, about 50 people, mostly university students and young people, rallied to protest the Olympics Games scheduled
to begin in two weeks.

As the Olympic torch relay proceeded up the street, the protestors waved placards and signs that said: “$6 billion could fund social housing, healthcare and education”, “Why support such waste”, “Our taxes for corporate profits”, “Solidarity with First Nations”, “Olympics – not our priority”, “We want our schools to stay open in PG” and “No more cuts”.

Robin Ocean, one of the organizers for the event, said that she was opposing “the blind acceptance of the Olympics without consideration of their cost.” She also commented that the “resistance movement is alive and well” and that people were coming together across the province to say “no” to the Olympic extravaganza.

Camella Bhatti, a university student, commented that, in her opinion, the “two week elite party” of the Olympics was “bad for the environment” and would harm the economy. In addition, people’s democratic rights to express their opinions were also being violated in Vancouver and other places.

The big question for the people of the province, she said, “is what is
going to be done once the Olympics are over.”