Did Torino And Salt Lake Have The Same Anti Olympic Movent As Vancouver Dose?

[cormiermax]

Did Torino and Salt Lake have the same sort of anti Olympic presence as Vancouver dose? Im very worried anti Olympic protesters will disrupt the games but maybe if Salt Lake and Torino had the same thing and if memory serves there were no major disruptions there Vancouver will be fine.

[mr.x]

Yes, there were major protests for Salt Lake and Torino as well....but given that Vancouver has a lot more lefties and anarchists, the concern for violent protests during the Games, akin to the Battle of Seattle WTO protests a decade ago, is much greater.

[4gamesandcounting]

When the Olympics finally turns up everyone tends to have a party. Anti Olympic protestors don't usually like their city to be seen in a bad light during games time do they? When did this last happen. Not in the last 20 years that I can remember.

[jawnbc]

Dude, you're not from Vancouver are you? I love Vancouver, BC and Canada...but snarkiness and negativity are all too common. A small minority channels this into either the radical left or right. So we get a sort of pendulum dynamic happening when it comes to some things.

Expect more aggressive "I don't give a fart how it makes us look" protesting. But also expect the ISU will deal with it effectively. I don't think, though, they'd be stoopid enough to try and disrupt any event except perhaps the Torch Relay. I wish they took the high road with their protests...and most will...but not all, alas.

When the Olympics finally turns up everyone tends to have a party. Anti Olympic protestors don't usually like their city to be seen in a bad light during games time do they? When did this last happen. Not in the last 20 years that I can remember.

[IceNarcissus]

I agree, expect the worst from Vancouver protestors. Major events will ALWAYS have an element of violence because there are ALWAYS people who take it too far, it's just a matter of controlling it. What makes the mayhem complex is that it's often factions of protest groups that engage in criminal behaviour, not the masses, and they more or less try to use the large gathering as their own human shield.

[mr.x]

Anyone here heard of the Battle in Seattle? Read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WTO_Ministeri...rotest_activity

Basically, it was a major violent riot protest in Downtown Seattle during the World Trade Organization's Ministerial Conference of 1999. It was utter mayhem when tens of thousands of protesters blocked the streets out of the conference venue and violent protesters later starting a riot. Many of these people were anarchists. Seattle police definitely had to use force and a few hours into the riot the mayor of the city called Martial Law in a 50 block radius around the convention centre.

The same anarchic masterminds behind the Seattle WTO riots are also those that are behind the anti-2010 movement. There are real concerns by the security planners that there could be violent protests/riots during the 2010 Games.

[Kenadian]

I'm sure there will be protests but I don't think they will get violent. The Seattle riots were about globalization and trade. So too, to a lesser extent, were the 1997 APEC riots in Vancouver. Much of that was a reaction to over zealous security.

The Olympics are a peaceful and celebratory movement, but one that is heavily armed and guarded, so I don't see how provoking a major protest will help the cause. The protests and cries about the Games are about money being spent on the Games instead of the poor and militant First Nations groups. But officially, the four local First Nations groups in the Vancouver-Whistler corridor endorse and support the 2010 Games.

[4gamesandcounting]

I'm sure there will be protests but I don't think they will get violent. The Seattle riots were about globalization and trade

Yep, World Trade meetings always bring out violent protests - I wouldn't expect the same kind of thing at an Olympics though. Hope not anyway.

[Faster]

Unfortunately I know there are plans to try and repeat Seattle. The only way to counter this is for normal Vancouverites taking to the streets in counter-protest.

[4gamesandcounting]

That's a real shame - I hope it doesn't spoil my trip.

[Faster]

Yes your trip is the most important thing to be spoiled, not the billions of dollars we've put into this thing that could be turned into a huge embarrassment.

[4gamesandcounting]

Good point Faster. Obviously that's important too.... but not as important as my holiday! ;-)

[mr.x]

There's no doubt there will be a lot of stupidity during the torch relay, but even if violent protests do start during the Games I think we will be well equipped to handle that quickly and swiftly. The 2010 Integrated Security Unit's number one priority and concern is violent protests, they know quite well it's a real threat and they are preparing for it.

[IceNarcissus]

I am pleased with the security forces so far. The list of measures and practice sessions they are doing is quite impressive. And with the flame igniting coming up the national interest will sway to VANOC's side and render disruptions a bit more difficult to carry out.

[canuckfan]

The comments under the article about the torch lightning ceremony on the CBC website were surprisingly positive this morning. But I now realise it was because the people in BC were not up yet. The party poopers are out in full force now, with their usual "ZOMG my taxpayer money", "ZOMG Party for the riches", "ZOMG the homeless"...

I hope all the time they spend complaining on CBC.ca doesn't interfere with their volunteer work at the homeless shelter! They're all such caring people all of a sudden...