Protesters Disrupt "Spirit Train" Sendoff: Two arrested, festivities cancelled

Protesters Disrupt "Spirit Train" Sendoff: Two arrested, festivities cancelled

Protesters Disrupt "Spirit Train" Sendoff
Two arrested, festivities cancelled
September 21, 2008
by Dawn Paley - The Dominion

About 50 people showed up to protest the "Canada Pacific Spirit Train" event Sunday in the Vancouver suburb of Port Moody. Taking a position in front of the main stage, the group carried signs and placards, and a large banner that read "Resist 2010: No Olympics on Stolen Native Land."

While demonstrators banged on pots and pans, Gord Hill, speaking on behalf of the Olympics Resistance Network, announced, "We want homes for the homeless, not corporate invasion on stolen native land."

Betty Krawczyk, a octogenarian mayoral candidate in Vancouver who was incarcerated in 2006 for attempting to defend a forest against the expansion of the Sea to Sky highway linking Vancouver and Whistler, said "there is no spirit on that train, this is all about money."

Most attending the event seemed relatively blasé about the protest, which carried on noisily for over an hour. A woman identified only as Gina led two children directly into the crowd of demonstrators, yelling at Krawczyk and pushing other protesters' signs. The children began to cry.

Para-olympian Peter Rosen, who will be accompanying the train to Montréal, said that "these are Canada's games, not Vancouver's games... [The 2010 Olympics] are a great opportunity for Canada." When asked about the protests, Rosen stated "everybody is entitled to an opinion, but professional protestors get it wrong."

Many at the event stayed closer to tents that were erected for the Olympic sponsors including Rona, Yves' Veggie cuisine and GE Transportation to house their wares.

"Spirit Train" tour manager and Canadian Pacific spokesperson Breanne Feigel told the Dominion that "The train will move the Olympic spirit across Canada," and that event organizers "respect everyone's right to make a statement."

An estimated 40 tour staff will be traveling alongside the train in vehicles. It is unknown if anyone will actually be riding inside the train as it travels east. Organizers are planning to run a second "spirit train" in 2009.

There were three separate police contingents that provided uniformed and undercover officers for the event: the Canadian Pacific Police Service, the Port Moody Police, and the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority Police Service. In addition, there was a large group of private security guards from 'Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security' on-site.

Police stormed the protest at about 2:40pm, causing a ruckus and knocking over a number of participants. They arrested an unidentified young man, and three officers carried him to a waiting police van.

As the crowd watched, an undercover officer assisting with the arrest shoved an elder to the ground, and pushed her against the hood of a car. The officer told the woman that she was under arrest for assaulting a police officer. The officer that the woman allegedly assaulted was undercover and did not reveal his identity to the media.

The woman was put in a squad car and taken to the Port Moody police department. "Spirit Train" organizers did not make a statement about the arrests.

In a press release put out before the event, the Olympics Resistance Network stated "Canadian Pacific, the Vancouver Organizing Committee and the International Olympic Committee call the train an 'ambassador of goodwill.' A more careful read of history teaches us that the Canadian Pacific Railway Company has been a key instrument in the colonization of Canada and the genocide of indigenous peoples."

"With protestors nearly outnumbering spectators, the most spirited thing today was the spirit of resistance against the Olympics and the forced cancellation of the Spirit Train launch ceremonies," said Hill. "We are confident that this same spirit will inspire others as the train travels across Canada."

Corporate media reports emphasized the crying children and unspecified "clashes" with police. Conservative MP James Moore told CTV news that "Making kids cry to make a point is just a little bit over the line, and that's what we saw today."

The "Spirit Train," left Sunday from Port Moody and will be visiting 10 cities across the country, ending up in Montréal on October 18th.

http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/2103

New VIDEO: OTTAWA PRESS GALLERY WALK4JUSTICE2008 Sept.15 2008

New VIDEO: CONFERENCE OTTAWA PRESS GALLERY WALK4JUSTICE2008 Sept.15 2008

http://www.vimeo.com/1778128

On September 15th of 2008 a group of walkers known as "The Walk4Justice2008" walkers arrived in Ottawa after an 89 day walk from Victoria and Vancouver BC to the steps of the Parliament of Canada to deliver a message.

They presented the petition to a man named Frances Perry (sp) a representative of Mr. Stephen Harper.Harper actually was in Ottawa according to radio but did not have the dignity or respect to meet our dignitaries or walkers. Chuck Strahl, though invited by Chief Doug Kelly also failed to show up. This clip shows the emotional plea of the Walk's creator Gladys Radek being supported by many of the most passionate Chiefs from BC who have supported us all the way from Vancouver Island to Ottawa.

Penny Irons from the Aboriginal Mother's Center also spoke passionately about her organization losing its' funding last December but continuing n and knowing many of the missing or murdered women were clients of the AMC.

Viola Thomas delivers an impassioned, direct and honest appraisal of the difficulties Fist Nations women from across Canada have faced and continue to face. She calls accurately the factors at play that lead to the victimization her people have endured and continue to endure.

Beverley Jacobs of NWAC sends a strong message to the politicians of this country and June Quipp from Cheam repeats her concerns for disconnects in mainstream Canadian Society for missing and murdered Aboriginal women. She refers to "death by natural causes". Let me provide some context here as I fell it is important.

She raised this issue with the walkers at Cheam on June 21st 2008 in the presence of her community. She explained to us that one of her nations' women had likely been murdered and located with her dismembered parts in a bag tossed in the ditch not far from the reserve.

The coroner ruled the death "natural causes" so would not investigate the death further. This type of callous disregard for the missing and or murdered women from the First Nation Communities must stop.

Stewart Phillip, Shawn Atleo and Doug Kelly lend their voices and support to the call for a full and transparent Public Inquiry. Please stay tuned for the speeches from the steps of Parliament Hill in the next mail out. A media release is being formulated at this time and should be posted Wednesday 24th 2008.

Mineable Tar Sands Region - Existing, Approved and Proposed Projects

This map takes all existing, approved and proposed projects and juxtaposes them with the urban footprints of large metropolitan Albertan areas Edmonton and Calgary (both cities well in excess of one million population and with vast urban sprawl development).

This map includes projects that have been proposed but not yet given approval (as of July, 2008). In pink are tar sands projects not yet approved but drawn up and conceptualized for proposal, light red areas already leased and approved for development but not yet developed, and dark red areas for existing footprints under continual development. Calgary's urban footprint outlined in brighter yellow, Edmonton's urban footprint outlined in orange.

The physical footprint of existing open pit mining projects is about the same size as Calgary. The physical footprint of existing and approved projects would be about twice the size of Calgary. The physical footprint of existing, approved, and proposed projects would be about three times the size of Calgary.

Source: Mineable Tar Sands Region-- Existing, Approved and Proposed Projects compared to Edmonton and Calgary | Oil Sands Truth: Shut down the Tar Sands