Demonstrators took Georgia Street this afternoon in an action designed
to block Olympic traffic from Vancouver to the resort town of
Whistler. The action was billed as a Heart Attack, set up to clog the
arteries of capitalism.
A marching band accompanied marchers, who carried banners, shouted
slogans and advanced through the streets of downtown. Overturned mail
boxes and a dumpster were dragged on to the street as the march passed
through, and when the crowd reached Georgia Hornby, black bloc members
busted windows.
Today’s actions were met with harsh violence coming from police, who
beat demonstrators in the streets, kettled another group, and arrested
13.
The Olympics Resistance Network didn’t call today’s protest, but since
2006 has organized “on the basis of anti-oppression principles and
with a respect for diversity of tactics.”
The site for the Vancouver local of The Media Co-op has been archived and will no longer be updated. Please visit the main Media Co-op website to learn more about the organization.
Comments
I am also against all
I am also against all sports-activities, but i bet there are more important things happening in the world to organize a demonstration against.
if u believe that then
if u believe that then organize one. the protest wasnt against sports, it was against the corporate bullshit that was forcing people off their land for the sports
The diversity of tactics
The diversity of tactics failed - the people's whose minds require changing have been forever shut off now that "black bloc" - or whoever the fools were that decided that the pathetic form of childish violence was a "tactic" at all - displayed their so subversive radicalism. What they really displayed has put us all at greater risk. No Thanks.
I'm glad the police kicked
I'm glad the police kicked some ass, what was the need for protesters destroying public property ???? Next time I hope the police open fire and take a few out. stupid tree huggers
Yes! Heart Attack was a
Yes! Heart Attack was a great success! I loved the tactics.
What a bunch of losers
Seriously you need to get a life--and a purpose. You and you're buddies knocked over a mailbox and broke a window and you call it a "success". Wow really setting the bar high! You made no change to any social policy or structure. You scratched some newspaper boxes and broke an insured window--it's time for a new career if that's all you can accomplish. And you even hid your faces! Everyone who covered their face is a total coward, true litle chickens. What a bunch of losers! Haha.
u sir have obviously never
u sir have obviously never been arrested if u think covering ur face is cowardly
"I am also against all
"I am also against all sports-activities, but i bet there are more important things happening in the world to organize a demonstration against."
They weren't demonstrating against sports activities, per se. More like the passive spectatorism, theft of indigenous lands, and hyper-consumerism. You notice they don't riot at every peewee's softball game?
"The diversity of tactics failed - the people's whose minds require changing have been forever shut off now that "black bloc" - or whoever the fools were that decided that the pathetic form of childish violence was a "tactic" at all - displayed their so subversive radicalism. What they really displayed has put us all at greater risk. No Thanks."
Can someone please introduce me to all these children who start riots? Kids here are generally not violent, Vancouver's kids must be awesome. And since riots are the more pathetic form of their violence, they must truely be bad ass. Or are you just unaware of what the word "childish" means? Some people's minds don't require changing, they require a dictionary.
Not trying to split hairs here, just pointing out that you are shouting random words you think are insulting, with no bases in reality. You must be a commie terrorist.
"I'm glad the police kicked some ass, what was the need for protesters destroying public property ???? Next time I hope the police open fire and take a few out. stupid tree huggers"
Beautiful! You try to invoke images of tree hugging as a way to denounce destruction. I guess that makes you a window hugger, eh? Save the property, dude! Far out.
You think you can change the
You think you can change the world with violence?
I don't think violence is going to change the minds of the millions who make up the society we want to change.
Boo! to diversity of tacticts, it's just a lame way of refusing the have a heated debate over the best way to transform society, end capitalism!
The police looked very
The police looked very professional and well behaved, unlike other riot police in other cities.
Violence was unnecessary
The resorting to violent acts is and was a waste of time and only helped alienate the public: the fact remains that there are some legitimate grievances that need a voice not hooliganism
If you are against " The Bay" for buying fake China made Cowichan sweater "knock offs" and its history of being a perpetrator of genocide. Why not intelligently organize a long term boycott of the stores and I will assure you and long term publicity campaign and boycott would eventually make "The Bay" fold and disappear into history.
Many people worked really hard to help get accross some very serious social and historical issues, don't be stupid and ruin all this hard work with the cheap thrill of breaking windows.
Lastly all you did is give this Security monster the food it lives for, fear, hate and violence.By acting in this way, you fed the monster and stooped to their level of Saurian consciousness.
If you want to defeat it, then that ,means starving it of the food it needs in order to exist, that means "strength" and self restraint and not giving into fear.
Rise up people,rise up above fear and act with intelligence Remember, we are all in this together, no one is "seperate" from the other, thats the lie.
ODM
I really wish I was there
I really wish I was there, it was a huge success. and you know what people? you should stop dissing the window smashers, I really think it was great that some direct action actually happened. but the shitty thing is, is that it looks like it was caused by provocateurs but we'll never fully know. RESISTANCE IS FERTILE!
for everyone thats dissing protestors "violent" acts...
in case u didnt notice thay were damaging property, not walking down the streets beating people. and the store windows that were smashed were one of the olympic sponsors, so it wasnt pointless violence, fuck it wasnt violence at all. the only violence was brought by the police because protestors were destroying property, and the fact that the police feel the need to beat and arrest so many over property is one of the reasons they were out there anyway. if you were forced out of ur homes so the rich can get richer, youd be out there breaking there shit too