Chris Shaw, spokesman for the No Games 2010 Coalition, has written to International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge warning of “province-wide mass public protests” when an evaluation team visits Vancouver in March.
Shaw said he will have placard-waving protesters lining the Sea-to-Sky Highway when the IOC drives up to Whistler.
“We’re hoping to put people all along the Sea-to-Sky Highway with placards or banners. If the city is going ahead flying banner, glorifying the Olympics all over Vancouver for the IOC visit, we’re going to put somebody with a placard under every one of those signs saying “no thanks”.
The No Games 2010 Coalition originally formed by anti-globalization activists, has expanded to include environmentalists, health-care activists, anti-proverty groups and forestry lobbyists.
Shaw’s IOC letter was sent to refute the letter Vancouver’s Mayor Larry Campbell sent to Rogge last week. He disputed Campbell’s statement that the Games have been Vancouver’s “passionate goal” for five years.
Shaw wrote, “the city of Vancouver is struggling with poverty issues, homelessness, shortages of hospital beds, closure of schools, etc. Vancouver and British Columbia simply cannot afford the financial risk of hosting the Olympic Games”.
Shaw said he was forced to go directly to Rogge because the COPE city council was “flopping all over the place” on how it will react to the outcome of the plebiscite on the Olympics it plans to hold on Feb. 22.
Meanwhile, a No Games 2010 Coalition insider told GamesBids.com that the group is talking to all the government unions and has set up meetings in early January.
Also, The Province reports that David Podmore, President and CEO of Concert Properties, will chair the Yes Group on the plebiscite. According to the newspaper Concert Properties is a property development company chaired by Jack Poole, the CEO of the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corp.
