NEWS RELEASE posted on February 13, 2010 by dawn

ORN Solidarity and Unity Statement

Statement circulated and endorsed in February, 2009

by Olympics Resistance Network

We are aware that there is wide-spread opposition to the 2010 Winter Olympics. This ranges from those who are opposing the negative impacts of the Games to those who seek to boycott the Games; from those who desire to raise public awareness about the Games to those who choose to engage in
direct action against the Games and its sponsors; from those who are concerned about single issues surrounding the Games to those who are concerned about the overall impact of the Games.

Despite our differences in analysis and strategies we believe we have a significant opportunity to come together and voice our opposition to the 2010 Olympic Games, and to find ways to support each other in our complementary efforts to expose this two-week circus and the oppression it
represents to many communities and sectors.

This is especially true since police and security forces already have and will continue to surveil, target, infiltrate, repress, and attempt to divide our movement. We realize that we may have many differences in analysis and tactics and such disagreements are healthy. However we believe such debates should remain internal and we should refrain from publicly denouncing or marginalizing one another especially to mainstream media and law enforcement. In particular, we should avoid
characterizations such as “bad” or “violent” protestors. We respectfully request that all those in opposition to the 2010 Olympics maintain our collective and unified commitment to social justice and popular mobilization efforts in the face of massive attempts to divide us.

Therefore we are calling for endorsements on the following basis of unity:

• We express our collective critique of and opposition to the negative impacts of the 2010 Olympics.

•  We do not need to fully agree or stand by each other’s tactics or ideas, although we may have much to learn and understand from one another.

•   We will refrain from publically denouncing or marginalizing other groups to mainstream media and law enforcement.

Please share this statement with others. We ask that if you group agrees with this statement (which does not imply endorsement of any particular group or its activities including ORN) and the basic principles outlined within it, to please email your endorsement to olympicresistance@riseup.net.

Endorsed by 2010 Watch, Alliance for People's Health, Anarchist Blackcross Melbourne, Anti Poverty Committee, AntiWar @ Laurier, Barriere Lake Solidarity Collective, Beehive Design Collective (Turtle Island and South America), Black Mesa Indigenous Support, Block the Empire-Montreal, Christian Radical, Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid – Toronto, Common Action, Community Solidarity Coalition (Victoria), Downtown Eastside Elders Council, Edmonton Small Press Association, F.ck off and Dance, Fanshawe Social Justice Club, Free Lex Wotton-Australia, Gerald and Maas Inc, Healing the Earth Radio, India Resource Centre, Indigenous Action Movement, Indigenous Environmental Network, Indigenous Peace Education, Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Movement- Guelph, Industrial Workers of the World, Joey Only Outlaw Band,  La Pointe Libertaire, Mostly Water Collective, Native 2010 Resistance, Native Youth Movement, No2010.com, No2010 Victoria, No One Is Illegal-Montreal, No One Is Illegal-Ottawa, No One Is Illegal-Toronto, No One Is Illegal-Vancouver, Oil Sands Truth, Olympic Resistance Network, Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, Pittsburgh Organizing Group, Reclaim!, Rising Tide North America, San Francisco Copwatch, Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group, Shotgun Union Worker's Collective Local 101, Solidarity Across Borders, Sound Resistance Radio, Spartacus Books, St'at'imc NYM, Stratford Action For Equality, Sudbury Against War and Occupation, Teaching Support Staff Union Social Justice Committee, The Grey Tigers Seniors Group, UBC Colour Connected Against Racism, Vancouver Island Community Forest Action Network, Vancouver Status of Women, Warrior Publications, Wild Earth, Work Less Party.