A Canadian Snapshot of the War in Afghanistan: Military Offensive Trumps Olympic Truce

acrosby — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:06:12 +0000

2010 Olympic Truce Called Despite Major Offensive in Marjah, Afghanistan

Just over 30 years ago, the Soviet Union launched a military offensive into Afghanistan, prompting Canada to join the United States and dozens of other countries to boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

Land disputes continue despite Olympics

acrosby — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:28:49 +0000

Okanagan indigenous community blocks access to logging company

Land disputes between indigenous communities, resource-based companies, and the Canadian state are numerous and on-going. There is no Olympic time-out in this historical struggle.

Securing 2010: the role of the military and police in suppressing dissent.

acrosby — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:53:30 +0000

What is the role of the military to suppress social movements? Is the usage of military forces within the domestic security apparatus of the liberal democratic state a new phenomenon, or a continuation of modern policing trends? I am interested in how public space is contested and the tactics utilized by the state in asserting control over public space. While the moment in which the clash occurs between police and protesters represents a pinnacle, there has also been an increase in the tactics utilized by the state, including pre-emptive harassment of activists and media campaigns to sway public opinion. I am interested in how the state has adapted its policing methods to "effectively" confront the "anti-globalization" movement. I would like to analyze this phenomenon within the context of the 2010 Olympic Games, in which resistance has emerged in various forms and encompasses a diverse array of allies. At the same time, while indigenous, anti-capitalist, anti-poverty elements, etc. have pledged active resistance, the marriage of various police and military forces - V2010-ISU (Vancouver 2010 - Integrated Security Unit) in a security apparatus that is unprecedented in terms of personnel and financial resources guarantees a clash in public spaces surrounding the Games. I am also interested in how this compares with past Olympic Games and past ministerial summits, how the media will be used to ignore the inevitable clashes in the streets while simultaneously ignoring the plight of indigenous peoples (in a hypocritical way when thinking of the support for Tibetan resistance surrounding the Olympics in China), and the role of the Canadian forces (and the civilian agencies - CSIS/CBSA) in assisting traditional police forces in securing the Games.

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Andrew Crosby

A Canadian Snapshot of the War in Afghanistan: Military Offensive Trumps Olympic Truce

Land disputes continue despite Olympics

Securing 2010: the role of the military and police in suppressing dissent.