[van-announce] 2010 Welcoming Committee Meeting to plan Feb. 12 demo

[alissa w]

WELCOME THE OLYMPIC TORCH AND OPENING CEREMONIES WITH A MASS DEMONSTRATION!

HELP BUILD THE 2010 WELCOMING COMMITTEE!  (PLEASE POST WIDELY)

Meeting to plan a public mobilization for the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics (on February 12, 2010):

**  Wednesday, Oct. 21, 7 - 9pm
SFU - Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings St.; 1315 Scotiabank Lecture Room
Vancouver BC - Coast Salish Territory

The Olympic Resistance Network, StopWar.ca, Vancouver Status of Women, No One Is Illegal - Vancouver, Anti-Poverty Committee, Social Justice Centre - UBC, Pink Resistance, Work Less Party, and Streams of Justice have endorsed the 2010 Welcoming Committee and a mass demonstration to coincide with the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and the arrival of the Olympic torch from its RBC sponsored cross-country relay.

The 2010 Welcoming Committee invites you/your group to join in organizing this event. Other than the date and general location (Feb. 12 and close to the opening ceremonies at BC Place Stadium), the messaging, event plan, and specifics are up to those who choose to participate in the planning. The goal is to include a wide range of activist, Indigenous, social justice, environmental, anti-poverty, labour, civil libertarian, anti-globalization, community, anti-war, women's and other groups and individuals to build a broad and accessible protest presence.  This group is united by a social justice critique of the 2010 Olympics.

As the Winter Olympics begin, we need to show the world that there is opposition and to articulate the negative impact it has on our communities and environment.  The very act of demonstrating and marching in the downtown core has become a defiant act as many of the streets and sites have been specially purposed for the Games with bylaws that restrict speech, protest, mobility, and assembly.

The agenda is open to public input and determined by who participates, but includes further outreach, brainstorming ways of creative resistance and protest, and gathering feedback and input about how the 2010 Welcoming Committee could help develop an inclusive, accessible and vocal public mobilization.

If you are unable to attend but are interested in being involved, please email us your contact information so we can add you to the organizing list.  (2010welcoming at resist.ca)

**  Wednesday, Oct. 21, 7 - 9pm
SFU - Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings St.; 1315 Scotiabank Lecture Room
Vancouver BC - Coast Salish Territory

Contact:  2010welcoming at resist.ca