Action Report: Protesting the Olympic "Spirit Train"

On Saturday, October 11, 2008, the Canadian Pacific Railway's so-called "Olympic Spirit Train" came to Sudbury, Ontario as part of its promotional tour. Leading up to this event, Sudbury Against War and Occupation (SAWO) initiated protest activities in cooperation with other people and groups in the community. Responding to the call from grassroots groups in Vancouver, we organized our activities under the slogan "No Olympics on Stolen Land."

Preceding the event, SAWO hosted a media conference on Thursday, October 9, with First nations elder Waubauno Kwe. She spoke out against the Olympics being held on unceded indigenous land and against the ways in which the Olympic organizing committee and the "Spirit Train" are appropriating and misusing indigenous spirituality and culture.

On the day of the "Spirit Train" event, twenty people gathered at Market Square in downtown Sudbury for an informational protest. First Nations elder Winnie Pitawanakwat opened the day's activities and others offered poetry, music, and statements, including William Morin of the First Peoples National Party and Clarissa Lassaline of SAWO.

Following the initial gathering, there was a festive, family-friendly procession to the site of the "Spirit Train" event, which was just starting. Some in the procession marched directly into the concert area to engage those who were listening to live music. Others set up at the entrance to the event with signs and information. In all, we passed out over 300 leaflets to people attending the event and spoke with many of them as well. Some were hostile, but most all took our information. (See the text of our leaflet.)

The police and "Spirit Train" organizers were clearly ready for our presence. Based on some of our interactions with event organizers, it seemed to us that the consistent protests at each of their stops are making them very unhappy. We take some heart in that.

Sudbury Against War and Occupation is a group of Sudbury residents concerned with all forms and consequences of war and occupation. While this includes working against Canadian involvement in war and occupation abroad, SAWO sees it as central to recognize that Canada itself exists as an occupation of indigenous land and that struggles by indigenous peoples against that occupation must be supported.

We see our protest activities against the "Spirit Train" and the 2010 Olympics more generally as part of our broader work against war and occupation. We will continue trying to root this work in local struggles, such as the recent Atikameksheng Anishnawbek (Whitefish Lake First Nation) claim on mineral resources wealth in the Sudbury area.

by C.D. on behalf of Sudbury Against War and Occupation