As January Closes; Links, News, Updates, Photos

Hidley Ho Neighbours! I'm not sure where to start off first So I'll go in the order of my title; keeping in mind that links and news are closely related.

I've wanted to blog for a while about how 2010 is going to be a HUGE year for activism and resistance in canada. In 2010 canada will host the Olympics, the SPP and the G8! A lot of people might be surprised that there is a growing resistance and opposition to the Olympics being hosted in Vancouver, but there are a lot of important reasons and the Anti-Olympic momentum is building! In fact just this past week the corporate media covered this story:

CSIS on lookout for violent protests at 2010 games

To which our good friend and commrade Anna, on behalf of the Anti-Poverty Committie (APC), wrote this press relase:

CSIS and the Olympic Police State:

The Anti-Poverty Committee, and others, have been publicly targeted by Canadian Security and Intelligence Services (CSIS), again.

Over the weekend, news outlets released a document from CSIS that outlined their intention to surveil and neutralize anti-Olympic protest groups.

This news comes as no surprise to most groups. Following last February’s disruption of the countdown clock VANOC made a joint statement vowing to utilize all forces and affiliated security agencies, which include the RCMP, the VPD, the Canadian Armed Forces and CISIS, to ‘target specific protesters and protest groups’.

Mary Claremont of the APC said, “This is what we have been protesting. Not just the Olympic lies and the millions of wasted dollars, but the coming Olympic police state. People thought we were nuts, but look, from 40 kilometers of electric fence, surveillance cameras, civil city, CSIS, add this and every thing else up- and its here.”

Mary pointed out that the APC has already been targeted with mass arrests, miss-information campaigns and the incident that had an organizer arrested by police posing as a journalist. As well organizations associated with the APC, like the Downtown Eastside Residents Association, have been targeted.

“We echo the concerns of the BC Civil Liberties Association. We also fear police intervention, surveillance and undercover operations. In fact we are certain that we have been and continue to be subject to all these things.”

“But this is all part of the Olympic package. It states very clearly in the rules of the IOC that there shall be no protests or strikes allowed. We want to know how far they are prepared to go. CSIS does not just look into things. The history of covert intelligence agencies are their relationship with protest organizations, especially direct action groups like ours, has been one of state sponsored disruption and violence.

There are se veral groups with links you can visit to learn about opposition to the Olympics and how to get active. This protest will prove to be HUGE, I already know of many people, coast to coast who have been committed to being in Vancouver for the protests. Here are some of those links.

Anti-Poverty Committe (Vancouver)
Intercontinental Cry
Harriet Spirit
no2010.com
Native Youth Movement Statement For Anti-Olympic Campaign

Join The Facebook Groups:

Fuck 2010 (first Éabha The Kiwi cursing! Cool eh?)
Riot 2010

Oh Kay, then there's the SPP or the Security and Prosperity Partnership. This is another great neo-liberal alphabet soup acronym to oppose. The SPP wants to integrate North America and effectively dissolve it's borders. The SPP has plans for a NAFTA super highway and a common currency like the European Union, which will be called the Amero. Maybe you remember the protests from the last SPP conspiracy last summer when these undercover bozos were trying to act as agents provoceteurs:



Here's a great link for the SPP:

Integrate This!

Again with the facebook?

Canadians Against The North American Union (52, 500 members!!!)


Then there's the G8. If you don't know why the G8 should be protested then you're really in the dark and really should learn all about the world wide web first! Then get active and when it's announced where Canada will be hosting 2010's conspiriatorial meeting of the Gee Hate, either make your way there or organize locally!

Onto the updates!
Thanks on behalf of my family to all the well wishers concerning my father who was in the hospital for the past several days. He seems to be on the mend after his weekend sleepover and related shenanigans.

I'm super duper looking forward to picking Éabha up on Friday, stay tuned for current photos and stories!

Sabarah has started her own blog! She had one going before but this one is new and improved. Don't forget to check out her amazing photos on her FLICKR link!

www.sabstory.blogspot.com Leave Comments!





Calling all photographers or just folks who love taking photos and sharing them with witty comments (not like me, haha). Please visit WWW.ONDAH.COM and upload your photos to the different "waves" (categories), and check out the other great photos there!

That's it for now, comment and visit often!

John D