Protesters target Olympic clock and Follow-up

Anti-Olympic protesters demand
'homes for everybody
Countdown clock defaced but police officers hold back

Ian Austin, The Province
Published: Monday, February 18, 2008

Protesters vowed further civic disruption yesterday as they defaced the Olympic Countdown Clock in downtown Vancouver.

"This isn't the end of resistance," said Thomas Malenfant, as he glued two posters to the clock in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery. "This is only the beginning."

A female protester lobbed two yellow paintballs at the clock, obscuring some of the numbers that continuously count down the time remaining until the 2010 Winter Olympics.

The afternoon anti-Olympic rally on the eve of today's provincial budget began peacefully at Victory Square, where speakers accused the B.C. Liberals of squandering a budget surplus on tax cuts for the rich and the giant Olympic budget.

"Last year the [provincial government's budget] surplus was $2 billion," said Jill Chettiar of the Anti-Poverty Committee, which organized the protest. "This year we're looking at [a possible] $3 billion.

"People on the Downtown Eastside are paying for the surplus with their lives, and what are they getting? Tax cuts for the rich.

"They're spending money on tax cuts for people who already have homes, who already have cars."

About 40 protesters marched through city streets, chanting, "No Homes, No Peace" and, "Homes, Not Olympics," before joining another 30 people gathered near the clock.

They were tailed by four bicycle cops and a patrol car, but there were no police guarding the clock as the protesters approached it.

The group struck quickly, lobbing the paintballs and slapping up the posters.

Afterwards, about a dozen officers moved in, but made no arrests.

"We want 2,000 units of social housing built every year," said Malenfant after he'd pasted the posters to the clock. "We want free tuition. We will not tolerate this any longer."

Malenfant, 23, lives in the Downtown Eastside and works for the Downtown Eastside Residents Association.

He dismissed the government's recent purchases of hotels to convert to social housing.

"That's not new housing," he said. "That's just a change of slumlord.

"We want 2,000 units of new housing -- that's $200 million a year, plus $10 million a year to maintain.

"That's not much compared to a $2-billion surplus. We want homes for everybody in B.C. -- that's all."

When asked if police would move in to arrest protesters, an officer replied: "When the time comes, the time comes -- until then, it's just a protest."

No arrests were made at the scene, but police remained long after the protesters left, interviewing witnesses to try to determine who threw the paintballs.

Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan dismissed the protest as a small, vocal minority.

"When you have thousands of citizens offering to volunteer for the Games and corporations around the world spending money on the Games, when you see a small group constantly working against all of our efforts, it's very frustrating," said Sullivan.

"There are people who take advantage of our society and our desire to offer people freedom of speech."

The province and the city have made a number of recent housing announcements -- the latest being the purchase of six Vancouver hotels last week.

Sullivan said 115 rooms in those hotels were vacant, and new residents will be carefully screened.

"There will be two people working there full time, and there will be renovations," said Sullivan.

Sullivan added that "3,050 units of social housing are in the planning, development or construction phase."

NEWS ARTICLE:

No arrests yet for vandalism of Olympic Countdown Clock

Ian Austin, The Province
Published: Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Vancouver police have yet to make an arrest following the paintballing of the Olympic Countdown Clock in Vancouver.

Two paintballs hit the clock when about 75 protesters from the Anti-Poverty Committee gathered Sunday in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Two posters were also stuck on the clock.
Police questioned members of the media following the fracas, asking them to identify who hurled the yellow paint.

"We will be following it up," police spokesman Const. Tim Fanning said yesterday.

"As soon as we have more on it, we will let you know."

An Olympics spokeswoman said no plans are being made to step up security for the clock. A security guard was posted after an earlier attack.

LETTERS TO EDITOR,

Province Feb 19, 2008

Small but effective
Letter

Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan is frustrated by what he sees as a small group "constantly working against all of our efforts" in regards to the 2010 Olympics.

This reminds me of something said by former Saskatchewan premier Tommy Douglas, recently voted the "Greatest Canadian of all time."

Douglas observed: "A small group of concerned citizens can change the world. In fact, that is the only thing that ever has."

F. Ron Yorston, Delta

Out for themselves

Judging by many of the habits of these poverty/anti-Olympics protesters, they seem completely pro-poverty.

The question they keep asking seems to be: "What's in it for us during and after the Olympics?"

But are they fighting for the rights of those who are in need or just for those who want?

They chant "homes not Olympics." But defacing the Olympic clock and screaming like hooligans makes everyone wonder if they have any sense of shame or the slightest sense of patriotism towards a country that already supports them.

They want 2,000 units of social housing built each year alongside free tuition.

They are against the government's purchase of hotels for conversion to social housing, claiming it isn't an accomplishment, just a change of slumlord.

As for so-called tax cuts for the rich, making money accumulates wealth, but it also accumulates tax dollars that support the economy and many of these protesters.

Everything in life needs a business plan, so I strongly suggest these protesters change their plan to make feasible what they want.
Ari Ron, Vancouver