(Update: some direct action solidarity took place in Bristol late on 23 Feburary. A communique posted on the Bristol Indymedia newswire claimed an attack on the Royal Bank of Scotland in central Bristol).
Opposition to the winter olympics on stolen native land continues, across Canada and internationally, despite heavy policing and arrests.
Bristol protest photo
There is a report of the 17 February protest in Bristol here.
Over in Vancouver, main site of the winter olympics, undercover cops have been kicked out of the tent city that is squatting on land leased to (and unused by) the local organising committee for the olympics (VANOC). Other protests continue (more reports), although there have been arrests at a number of events, and also reports of alleged ‘ringleaders’ being picked up and charged: “On Friday February 12 Police watched a person who is well known to them lead a group of criminals all dressed in black set up a barbed wire barricade in a downtown intersection. The barricade caused the Torch Relay to be diverted,” police said. “The same person was seen on Saturday February 13 dressed in black pulling a cloth over his mouth and nose and a hood over his head,” said police. He then used an air horn to ask his fellow anarchists to feel free to throw things around. “He then led the group on a march that included the spray painting of vehicles, the breaking of windows, the looting of a ladder from London Drugs and other damage,” said cops. (from Vanvouverite).
The alleged ‘ringleader’ is Guillame Joseph-Marc Beaulieu, 27 of Vancouver. He is charged with mischief and faces fines of over $5,000. Also arrested along with 11 others so far is Lliam Brander, 27, of North Vancouver, charged with assault. It is unknown how many olympic organisers have been arrested so far for environmental destruction, theft of unceeded native land, corporate profiteering, misuse of public funds, bribery and corruption. But we suspect the answer is absolutely none.