July 28th Counter Olympics March in Bow!

The Counter Olympics Network staged a mass rally through Bow in East London on Saturday 28th July attended by around 1000 people bringing together over 50 organisations representing many different concerns about the Olympics, including corporate campaigns against Olympic sponsors like Dow, G4S, BP, Rio Tinto, Atos and Adidas and local campaigns over the seizure of land at Leyton Marsh, Greenwich Park and Wanstead Flats, the closure of tow paths and the placing of missiles on blocks of flats and in parks. Trade unions and campaigns against the cuts protested against the misuse of resources while representatives from NoSochi2014 and RioOnWatch made this an international occasion.

The march was followed by speeches, plays, poetry and performances, notably dancing by the Circassian NoSochi campaigners and a performance by Reclaim the Bard. The Vancouver Poverty Olympics Torch, which was kindly provided by Vancouver activists, was passed on to the NoSochi group to continue to provide a focus of protest against the bloated circus that is the Olympics.

The front of the march…

..on the road..

Filed under: campaigns, events, take action

f-ing the future: go BP-free in 2012

PRESS RELEASE

BP’s biggest Olympic advert splattered with oil as protests intensify

5th July – For Immediate Release

With the Olympics now only three weeks away, protests against Olympic sponsor BP are escalating. Today dozens of BP logos across London were sabotaged, including the UK’s most prestigious billboard site at Cromwell Road. [1] Around the capital, protesters hit petrol stations, BP-sponsored cultural institutions[2] and advertising hoardings, protesting against one of the world’s most environmentally destructive companies being a major sponsor of the London Olympics. Signs were splattered with oil and BP’s tagline ‘Fuelling the Future’ was subvertised with the URL ‘f-ingthefuture.org.uk’.

Filed under: campaigns, corporate gain, take action

One Law For All – Protest – London 2012: Justice for Women

25 July 2012: Protest against the Olympics Committee’s failure to implement principles of equality and neutrality 

On 25 July 2012 in conjunction with the opening of the London Olympics, ‘London 2012: Justice for Women’ is organising a protest against the Olympics Committee’s failure to implement principles of equality and neutrality. The group’s concerns include the banning of female athletes in contravention of principles of equality by Saudi Arabia and the inclusion of veiled women in contravention to neutrality principles. The group is also calling for homage to women pioneers in sports, amongst other demands.

The protest begins with a public meeting on the Hispaniola (moored near Embankment tube station) from 10.30am-13.00pm, focusing on the concepts of neutrality versus politico-religious symbols, and how women’s rights to equality and universalism are being ignored and denied by the Olympics Committee. Speakers at the public meeting include representatives of the European Women’s Lobby, secularists and women’s rights defenders, including from countries under Islamic laws.

Filed under: equality, events, take action

Statement of Solidarity with Simon Moore

‘I am Simon Moore’ photo by Random Blowe

On Monday 18th June a two year ASBO was imposed on Simon Moore, our friend and fellow protestor at Leyton Marsh.

• Like us, Simon believed that what was happening on Leyton Marsh was wrong and needed to be resisted peacefully.
• Like us, Simon did not want to see a beautiful habitat and recreational space enclosed, contaminated and destroyed for a wasteful temporary facility for the Olympics.
• Like us, Simon was prepared to show his opposition to this destructive land grab.Like us, he was intimidated with the full force of the law and criminalised.
• Like Simon, we do not wish to stop speaking the truth about legitimate issues around the Olympics such as environmental destruction and suspension of our human rights.
• Like Simon, we will not stop peacefully protesting.
• Like Simon, we will not stop speaking out about what is right.
• Like Simon, we refuse to fear doing what is right and just in the face of repression.
• We stand together against this injustice and speak as one. Simon is one of us and we are all Simon Moore!

See the list of signatories here

Filed under: policing & civil liberties, take action

Greenwash Gold Early Day Motion 221

John McDonnell MP and others have signed a new Early Day Motion (EDM) in support of the Greenwash Gold Campaign.

An EDM is like a petition by Members of Parliament, testing the strength of opinion about a particular issue. If you live in the UK, please contact your MP and ask them to sign EDM 221. Please do this even if you did it recently with the earlier EDM supporting Greenwash Gold, as all EDMs ran out of time before the Queen’s Speech in May. You can find out who your MP is by going to http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/ and entering your postcode.

The text of the EDM is:

“That this House welcomes the launch by Bhopal Medical Appeal, London Mining Network and UK Tar Sands Network of the Greenwash Gold 2012 awards exposing the record of environmental destruction and human rights abuses of the companies BP, Rio Tinto and Dow, which are major sponsors of the 2012 Olympics; and urges the Olympic authorities to bring forward reforms of the process by which Olympic sponsors are selected so that known polluters and human rights abusers are never allowed to tarnish the image of the Olympics again.”

You can find details of the EDM at http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/221.

Filed under: corporate gain, take action

No Missiles in Our Community

PROTEST: Called by Stop the Olympic Missiles 

Saturday 30th June

Assemble 1pm

Wennington Green, Mile End Park, London E3 5SN

As part of the Olympic Games this summer, the Ministry of Defence is planning to place surface-to-air missiles on rooftops in residential areas around London, including in East London.

There has been no consultation with local people about the missiles, nor has any risk assessment been conducted. The
presence of missiles in the local area will create real danger and do not serve reasonable security purpose.

We demand that the Ministry of Defence scraps the plan immediately.

Facebook Event: PROTEST: No Missiles in Our Community

www.stoptheolympicmissiles.org

Filed under: events, militarisation, take action