It’s only Day 2, and already these Winter Olympics have a cursed feel to them. The death of 21-year old luger Nodar Kumaritashvili cast a pall over the first day on Friday, but even before his tragic accident, Vancouver had more than its fair share of problems in the run-up to these games. There was the lack of actual snow, the projected hundreds of millions in losses NBC expected to take broadcasting the games, not to mention the riots.
Rioting Begins At Vancouver Olympics
Yes, rioting. Vancouverians have been upset about the way the Olympic games have been handled by the government, as the Olympic projects have come in well over budget. Some feel that the money would have been better spent going to social services, particularly as the city grapples with the effects of the recession.
But now, the protests are beginning to turn violent. Michael Russo from the Minneapolis Star Tribune tweeted this on Saturday afternoon:
Reported rioting at Granville and Georgia here in Van. Protesters reportedly smashed windows of Hudson Bay Co., my favorite dept store here
These protesters are completing what they call the “heart attack march” as they make their way through the streets of Vancouver. The protesters were reportedly organized by the Olympic Resistance Network, a group seeking to “to protest capitalism” and who “aimed to disturb ‘business as unusual’ on the first day of the Games”, per the Vancouver Sun.
Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson has denounced the protesters from Friday with this statement after the Opening Ceremonies:
“I’m really disappointed there was violence and disrespect shown by protesters. I think all in Vancouver expect there will be peaceful protests and a few individuals crossed that line,” said Robertson.
“I’m very proud of the Vancouver police department’s performance. They handled the situation very well,” he added.
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