you might not hear about this on the media...

Well, the day is finally here, after ten years of in your face, relentless hype and propaganda the torch is lit. I was willing to ignore the games but that was impossible. You can’t turn on the TV or walk outside your door without the Olympics hammering at you, obnoxious and constant, telling you how you love the Olympics and how excited you are to be hosting the Olympics… that if you aren’t totality stoked and drooling at the mouth over the Olympics you are a pathologically insane freak. The more they told me how much I love the Olympics the more I wanted to shout back : “No sorry, I don’t like the Olympics! The cost is too damn high! The cut backs (with more to come) and the cities debt. It unnerves me to see my city turned into a police state. I like fun but can‘t we have fun in this city without the Olympic price tag !?!“
I could go on but most people have heard that stuff already. So I had to go to the anti-Olympic demo, if only to be amongst people who aren’t infected with Olympic fever…

I left my home to walk downtown to the demo, a little worried about all the cops, wondering if I was being a tad paranoid…until I saw two cop cars parked at the end of my street… then another one a block away. The first thing I noticed was how jingoistic the Olympics are. I like the internationalism of the Olympics, but I find it at odds with the “Go-Canada-Go!”, “Own the podium!” mindless patriotism. To me it just seems ostentatious, if not rude and it’s everywhere! It wasn’t until I got downtown that I saw much evidence that anyone other than Canada was even in the games! To me it all seems, well, rather American…

I arrived at the art gallery lawn and it was packed. I knew I wasn’t planning to get involved with any serious confrontations but some people at the demo might not agree. I’m sure the Black Brigaders are hoping for some “Battle in Seattle” type action but this is the Olympics, not APEC. Choose your battles. I didn’t think there was much chance of a police riot with the international media watching, although the local media seemed to be doing it‘s best to scare people off. It was an impressive turn out, amateurishly organised (what do you expect from anarchists?:) but I have no idea of numbers. The demonstrators usually high-ball numbers, the cops low. As usual the demo lacked focus as people were protesting against all manner of things that had some connection to the Olympics and the worlds perception of Canada. Native Warriors, environmentalists, anti-Harper, anti-Campbell, anti-war, poverty activists, people protesting cuts to school, hospitals, arts funding, you name it. A city gutted for the Olympics. Ran into people I know, people I didn’t really know but knew me. Nardwuar was there, Oraf brought a banner, Rohan, Gordon… ran into 12 Midnite. I talked to a guy in a white face mask about comics, he was sweating under there. I go to these events as a protestor but I feel like an observer, it’s hard for me to “commit” myself. I’m not a joiner, I‘m not a chanter. There was a small counter demonstration, which made me laugh. The mainstream media were all over these guys, ignoring the much larger group of anti-Olympic protestors. They disappeared shortly after I left, I hope no one pressured them to go. During the march I witnessed not one case where anyone who was an Olympic supporter was harassed. I did see a couple Olympic supporters confronting protestors. And a couple guys with signs campaigning for Jesus.

It felt like half the crowd in front of the art gallery were media, local, national and international, from web sites, magazines, TV, desperate to get a juicy quote. I was approached by a woman from CBC French language radio, I gave a copy of “Fuck the Olympics” to a writer from the Globe & Mail, on the march I was asked by a reporter who‘s English was poor (her name tag said Chan so I’m guessing Chinese) to write down on her notebook what people were chanting . “No Olympics on stolen Indian land” in case you’re wondering. I watched Nardwuar talking to a guy from Tyee magazine. The route of the march was lined with people taking pictures, media and tourists, on every staircase and parking lot. While they took pictures of us the protestors took pictures of them. It was kind of surreal, like a Bizarro world version of the opening ceremonies were the athletes parade in. All ages, it was actually a well behaved group of “terrorists”, as we anti-Olympic protestors have been referred too. The cops played it well, giving the marchers enough concessions that they were satisfied that they had achieved something. The police drew the line at Beatty Str, right in front of the stadium, were they set up a police line backed by cops on horseback. Eventually the crowd dissipated in the rain, most unwilling to push it further. There was a small hardcore group when I left to find a Blenz to eat my lunch, drink strong tea and recover before walking home. I bought some house painting brushes on the way home, crossing the Cambie bridge while the parade of athletes was under way inside the stadium. The bridge was full of buses from California waiting to pick up the athletes, idling… so much for the green Olympics. I figure I’ll check out some of the free stuff, take advantage of the arts events during the Olympics, cause with the cutbacks there sure isn’t gonna be much afterwards…