Protesters disrupt Olympic Spirit Train kickoff
By Ian Austin, Vancouver Province
Published: Sunday, September 21, 2008
Police arrested two people Sunday as protesters armed with placards, air horns and megaphones overpowered the kickoff of the Canadian Pacific Spirit Train in Port Moody.
Shouting "Homes, no games!" and drowning out the scheduled entertainment, the noisy protesters chanted for more than an hour. The performers continually turned up the volume, but were eventually unable to proceed.
"I think the idea is to make some f---in' noise here," said Garth Mullins, a fixture at anti-Olympic protests. "They're trying to drown us out, so let's drown them out."
The Spirit Train is scheduled to travel to 10 communities across Canada, carrying activities and exhibits related to the Vancouver 2010 Games. Vancouver's Colin James is among the performers participating.
As the show began Sunday under the watchful eye of dozens of police officers, the protesters positioned two large banners directly in front of the stage so nobody could see the featured entertainment.
Kelly Worrall, a spectator, intervened and hauled down the sign down so the crowd could see.
"I'm not politically motivated, I'm just trying to see the show," Worrall said. "Freedom only goes as far as when it affects me. You can't accept this type of behaviour."
Colin Hansen, the B.C. minister responsible for the Olympics, huddled with aides and Canadian Pacific staff to decide whether to go on stage with the protesters so close.
"I think it shows the strength of Canadian democracy, that there's room for protesters. It's a shame that a small number of protesters can ruin this for the vast majority," Hansen said.
"They claim to be in favour of First Nations, but they're shouting down an aboriginal band on stage."
Police moved in at 3 p.m., handcuffing a man and carrying him to the back of a police van. Another woman moved in to help the first man. She was handcuffed while protesters shouted that the man had been assaulted by a media cameraman.
The protesters moved over to the Canadian Pacific corporate tent at about 3:15 p.m., where they shouted anti-Olympic slogans next to a table where families were collecting autographed postcards.
Police had to restrain a woman who tried to snatch a megaphone from one of the protesters, but eventually the group retreated and left the event at about 3:30 p.m.
Charges have not been laid against the man and woman arrested.
© Vancouver Province 2008
