Occupy London protester Kerry-anne Mendoza, a 30-year-old University of London student, has set up an “umbrella” campaign group to bring together more than 30 organisations to cause chaos at the Games.
The groups are understood to be discussing potential targets, including the Zil traffic lanes for dignitaries and athletes to the Olympic Park, as well as attempting to disrupt security and the sporting events themselves. Under the banner Reclaim London 2012, the group called OurOlympics, wants to use the Games as a “mouthpiece for the unheard majority”.
Its mission statement reads: “We believe that the London 2012 Olympics has been turned into a taxpayer-funded advertising campaign for some of the worst offending corporations in our world. We believe non-violent civil disobedience is the megaphone for the unheard majority. Let’s make sure they hear us at London 2012. We believe we can reclaim London 2012 by making it the greatest act of civil disobedience of our time.”
Occupy protesters today warned they are prepared to blockade building work at a multi-million-pound Olympic basketball practice hall in Leyton while local campaigners back their presence. About 20 have managed to halt work since the weekend. A group of residents furious at the development said Occupy will be welcome as long as the project threatens their green space.
Demonstrators at the Games will have to contend with a £553 million security operation — the largest mounted in peacetime in Britain — involving 12,000 police, 23,700 security personnel, 7,500 Ministry of Defence staff and 13,500 military personnel protecting the 34 venues and more than 60 non-competition Games venues from terrorist and civil threats.
MI5 is also mobilising 3,800 staff to focus on specific individuals who may pose a terrorist risk, its biggest operation since the war.
A spokesman for the Met said: “We have plans in place for a safe and secure Games and are ready to work with our partners on security matters including protests.
Richard Ej Writes:
Because ATOS is a sponsor those protesting against ATOS will therefore be outlawed!
British police have the power to enter private homes and seize political posters displayed during the London 2012 Olympics.
Legal powers – passed, will give police and Olympic officials the right enter homes and shops near official venues to remove & confiscate material. Offenders will then be given a fine of up to £20,000.
Civil liberties groups have compared the powers to those used by fascist Germany at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Hitler used the opportunity as a propaganda tool. In a bazaar twist – the anti-Semitic posters that had littered Germany before the games had disappeared. Signs that stated “Jews not welcome here” were not longer visible – anything was done to ensure that the Games went smoothly and caused no upset.
The powers that could be used are part of the ‘Olympics Act’, passed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, supposedly to preserve the monopoly of official advertisers.
UPDATE:
“Olympics minister Hugh Robertson told the London Standard that they are eager for citizens to become part of the security force: “If you know of people, including neighbours, who are going to break the law during the Olympics you should let the authorities know.” The Standard says “the appeal came after activists threatened to turn the Games into the ‘greatest act of civil disobedience of our time’.”
Olympics, what are they, and do i give a damn about them………….er no.
Following that link (to OurOlympics) we find:
“MASS ACTION DATE AGREED – 28TH JULY 2012.
The Counter Olympics Network (CON) Mass Action Planning meeting, with representatives from Our Olympics, No UK Tar Sands, Coalition of Resistance, Occupy London, Save Leyton Marsh, Drop DOW Now, and others have announced a Day of Mass Action on Saturday 28th July 2012.
Further details will follow, but we call on all groups impacted by the Olympics, the misdeeds of it’s sponsors and contractors, or the government which is selling Britain out from under us: clear your diary and join together with us on Saturday 28th July 2012 to make your voice heard. It’s going to be a day we never forget.”
Have I developed fully-fledged paranoia or is the acronym ‘CON’ a little dubious?! Why are they so public? Is this the demo the government want us to join or is this ‘CON’ legit? I ask semi-seriously; there’s always a decoy and I have little knowledge of the current Olympics resistance. I’d like more though!
Hi Amy,
Kerry-anne here. Yes I had te same thought about the unfortunate acronym! I assure you (not that this would help with full fledged paranoia, but for what’s worth) we’re genuine. Genuine in that we are real people and our views are our own and meant with integrity. You should become an OurOlympian at our website if not already and you can come along to planning meetings/events etc and meet more like minded people. If not, we certainly hope to see you on July 28th. It’s going to be a celebration of the better angels of our nature!
Thanks to all for their interest in the campaign and spreading the word.
K @OurOlympics
yes but the goverment bring out thier rubber bullets for demo just to try them out on the less able like us but given for warning is this a real cause or more like goverment hand in it jeff3
Thanks Kerry-Anne I’ll check that out.