People from all walks of life met at Victory Square on West Hastings and Cambie to protest the Olympic police crackdown, the displacement of the homeless and the Games themselves, in what is only to be the first of many large anti-Olympic demonstrations in the city.

The demonstration Friday night, called “Solidarity in the face of police repression,” began at 6pm with speeches and songs from anti-Games activists. There were several Vancouver Police Department officers on bikes standing by.

The mass then moved from the park onto East Hastings Street, and towards Main. Protesters formed around a pickup truck, and a few lit torches. When the demonstration reached Main Street just after 7pm, protesters formed up in the intersection and blocked traffic in all four directions, holding up anti-Olympic banners towards motorists.

VPD officers followed the mass, and directed traffic. There were no observed altercations between police and protesters.

Among the demonstrators were a few students, including AMS President Blake Frederick, Student Legal Fund Society President Emily Griffiths, and UBC alumnus and former VP External Stefanie Ratjen.

After blocking the Main and Hastings intersection for several minutes, the demonstration moved down Main Street. The march ended around 7:45pm in front of Pacific Central Station. An organizer announced plans for a similar protest, to begin at the station on the morning of February 13, the day after the Olympic opening ceremonies.

For more on this protest, see the Monday Issue of The Ubyssey.

From Victory Square (Cambie & Hastings)

At 6pm

Anyone posing even a potential threat to Olympic Security is being subjected to police “friendly visits” and blatant harassment, from active organizers and their families to people who attend events  or write critical letters. These visits have escalated and are likely to continue escalating as we near the February games.  Some have faced the sharper swords of prosecution, imprisonment, deportation, and even death in the case of Harriet Nahanee.

We see the clear connection between Olympic repression and ongoing police intimidation & brutality, the mounting deaths in police custody, the gross negligence in missing women cases, the social cleansing in the Downtown Eastside, and all the other symptoms of this unjust system.

Let’s show that our solidarity can be stronger than their repression.

Our Intentions:

We are planning on this march being a family friendly demonstration of our solidarity against police repression. We intend to create a festive atmosphere that is safe and inviting for a wide range of people. Our goal is to spread information and to strengthen our will to band together and support each other in the face of ongoing police repression. This said, we are not responsible nor can we control attempts by authorities to suppress our solidarity, and therefore, we stress the importance of supporting those who choose to defend themselves and others against police abuse.

We invite everyone to bring their friends and family, as well as banners, chants, noise  makers, flags, torches and, most importantly, lots of energy! Let’s bring the celebration of our resistance into the streets!

If you have any questions, please leave us a comment and we will respond ASAP. If you do not wish to make your comment public, please let us know and we will act accordingly.