This February, the province of British Columbia is throwing a $6 billion+ party.

When that amount of money is put in one direction, it inevitably comes from another direction.

Unfortunately, that other direction I’m referring to is social services, such as healthcare and education. What’s more, the Olympics further exacerbates the serious issues this province faces such as homelessness, expansion of sport tourism on unceded [sic] indigenous lands and environmental destruction. One billion dollars alone will be spent on police and security surrounding the Olympic Games as well.

As the corporate-sponsored torch relay crossed Canada like a travelling pep rally, activists attempting to raise awareness around the adverse effects surrounding the 2010 Olympic Games protested in meaningful and impassioned ways: both disrupting the torch and blocking it altogether, but where were the student protestors?

Some of the sponsors of both the torch relay and Olympic Games are involved is serious human rights abuse allegations; apparently this was not enough to mobilize a substantial number of student demonstrators.

This past December, in Copenhagen, an unprecedented hundred of thousands activists took to the streets voicing their concern in regards to man-made climate change and uncertainty. Some of the key players being protested against in Copenhagen (namely those involved in the tar sands development in northern Alberta) are throwing a massive party in our backyard and most of the students in BC and across Canada are barely saying a word.

A Roman poet once remarked, as long as the people have their bread and circuses they will be happy. With the Olympics and the preceding torch relay, we certainly have our circuses, but thousands of people across BC and Canada, including students, are struggling for their bread.

This February, surrounding the Olympics, there will be an unprecedented effort by activists to demonstrate and move towards a more peaceful, egalitarian and environmentally friendly province, country and world. An unparalleled $1 billion dollars’ worth of police and security will attempt to ensure that this message is not heard globally.

Who wins will depend largely on whether or not the students of Canada and BC decide to smash the label of “indifferent” and “apathetic” painted on them.

When the 2010 Olympic party is over and the people of British Columbia are left to clean up and pay for the mess, will they be wondering to themselves, “where were the student protestors?”

Submitted by: Mike Scott