ABSTRACT
On 28 July 2012, the day after the opening ceremonies for the London Summer Olympics, activists gathered at Mile End Park in East London for a mobilisation and march under the moniker ‘Whose Games? Whose City?’ The demonstration was planned by the Counter Olympics Network, an umbrella organisation for dozens of groups that wished to question the Games. Around 1000 people participated in the march, which snaked through Bow, along the way passing Bow Quarter Tower where surface-to-air missiles were ratcheted to the roof. The missiles were part of the massive security operation that accompanied the Games. Curious military personnel peered over the tower wall to find people chanting Hey ho Seb Coe, Get Your Missiles Out of Bow! Other chants included: Seb Coe, Get Out/We Know What You’re All About/Missiles, Job
and Pet Fusseyb
Losses, Olympics for the Bosses. Meanwhile, there was heavy police presence, including the lightblue sporting police liaison officers who amiably chatted up the crowd vacuuming up whatever information they could. The event culminated at Wennington Green where speakers from various groups gave brief speeches. Anti-missile activist Chris Nineham spoke for many concerned citizens when he said, ‘The local people think the idea of stationing high explosives in residential sites is a completely irresponsible and stupid thing to do. They should never have done it and they should never do such a thing again’ (‘Hundreds March in Olympics Protest in East London’, 2012). All in all, it was a peaceful event, not in the least bit spiky. And in the end, it was the largest activist mobilisation during the course of the Games.
