Mega-Events: the Olympic Phenomenon
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HIDDEN COSTS OF THE OLYMPICS: PREPARATION, POLITICS AND CONTROL by Raegan Carmichael BA Sociology, Queens University 2002 BAH Criminology, Saint Marys University 2005 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS In the School of Criminology © Raegan Carmichael 2009 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Fall 2009 All rights reserved. However, in accordance with the Copyright Act of Canada, this work may be reproduced, without authorization, under the conditions for Fair Dealing. Therefore, limited reproduction of this work for the purposes of private study, research, criticism, review and news reporting is likely to be in accordance with the law, particularly if cited appropriately. APPROVAL Name: Raegan Carmichael Degree: Master of Arts Title of Thesis: Hidden Costs of the Olympics: Preparation, Politics and Control Examining Committee: Chair: Sheri Fabian Lecturer, School of Criminology ______________________________________ David MacAlister, LL.M. Senior Supervisor Associate Professor, School of Criminology ______________________________________ Neil Boyd, LL.M. Supervisor Professor and Graduate Program Director, School of Criminology ______________________________________ Dr. Jeffrey Shantz External Examiner Professor, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Department of Criminology Date Defended/Approved: November 25th, 2009 ii Declaration of Partial Copyright Licence The author, whose copyright is declared on the title page of this work, has granted to Simon Fraser University the right to lend this thesis, project or extended essay to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. The author has further granted permission to Simon Fraser University to keep or make a digital copy for use in its circulating collection (currently available to the public at the “Institutional Repository” link of the SFU Library website <www.lib.sfu.ca> at: <http://ir.lib.sfu.ca/handle/1892/112>) and, without changing the content, to translate the thesis/project or extended essays, if technically possible, to any medium or format for the purpose of preservation of the digital work. The author has further agreed that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by either the author or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission. Permission for public performance, or limited permission for private scholarly use, of any multimedia materials forming part of this work, may have been granted by the author. This information may be found on the separately catalogued multimedia material and in the signed Partial Copyright Licence. While licensing SFU to permit the above uses, the author retains copyright in the thesis, project or extended essays, including the right to change the work for subsequent purposes, including editing and publishing the work in whole or in part, and licensing other parties, as the author may desire. The original Partial Copyright Licence attesting to these terms, and signed by this author, may be found in the original bound copy of this work, retained in the Simon Fraser University Archive. Simon Fraser University Library Burnaby, BC, Canada Last revision: Spring 09 ABSTRACT International sporting events, such as the Olympics, are often recognized as opportunities to renew infrastructure and boost economies, while the potential to harm marginalized communities through legislative action is underscored. This legislative trend will be explored utilizing an integrated approach incorporating Marxism, Garland‟s Culture of Control and Black‟s Behavior of Law, suggesting that the implementation of law serves specific interests, namely those with an economic interest in the Games and city officials. This thesis concentrates on the law implemented and/or enforced in two past host cities, Atlanta and Sydney, and the current situation in Vancouver. The focus will rest on how and why increasingly punitive policy and enforcement protocols are implemented in the lead-up to the Olympics, and how such legislation works to the detriment of the homeless who are often subject to the law with little recourse. Keywords: Olympics; mega-events; homelessness; criminalization of homelessness; public disorder law; resistance and protest. iii DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my family, Jon Heidt and numerous friends who were my constant source of support and encouragement. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people have been instrumental in bringing this thesis to a close. There is no way to name all of you so I will trust that you know who you are. Most importantly, I would like to thank my supervisory committee, David MacAlister and Neil Boyd, for without their patience and support this thesis never would have made it off of the ground, let alone been completed. I would also like to thank my external examiner, Jeffrey Shantz, for attending my defence and providing invaluable advice that greatly improved this work. I would also like to thank Sheri Fabian for her help with formatting and getting this thesis to work in the template. It proved to be the puzzle of all puzzles and in the end was a tedious but ultimately rewarding journey. Last but not least, I would like to thank Barry Cartwright, Christine Grout, and Roxanne Jantzi for all of their guidance, assistance and support. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Approval ........................................................................................................................ ii Abstract ........................................................................................................................ iii Dedication ..................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ......................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER 1. Introduction .......................................................................................... 1 1.1 Outline of Thesis................................................................................................. 3 CHAPTER 2. Mega-events: The Olympic Phenomenon ........................................... 6 2.1 Securing the Olympic Environment ................................................................... 13 2.1.1 Securing and Policing the Internal Threat: Image is Everything ................. 16 2.1.2 Olympic Advocacy, Resistance, and Protest .............................................. 24 CHAPTER 3. Theoretical Foundations .................................................................... 28 CHAPTER 4. A Discussion of Three Host Cities .................................................... 39 4.1 Atlanta 1996: „Come Celebrate our Dream‟; „The City Too Busy To Hate‟ ........ 39 4.1.1 “Olympian” Atlanta ..................................................................................... 41 4.2 Sydney 2000: The „Green‟ Games - „The eyes of the world will be on us‟ ......... 47 4.2.1 “Olympian” Sydney .................................................................................... 49 4.3 Vancouver 2010: “The Best Place on Earth” ..................................................... 50 4.3.1 “Olympian” Vancouver ............................................................................... 54 CHAPTER 5. Olympic Sized Legislation ................................................................. 56 5.1 Atlanta Ordinance ............................................................................................. 56 5.2 Sydney Legislation ........................................................................................... 58 5.3 Vancouver By-laws and Provincial Statutes ...................................................... 60 5.4 Private Life Meets Public Space: The Right to Shelter ...................................... 64 5.4.1 Relevant Atlanta Ordinances ..................................................................... 65 5.4.2 Relevant Sydney Legislation ...................................................................... 67 5.4.3 Relevant Vancouver By-laws ..................................................................... 70 5.5 Curbside Employment: Earning a living in public space .................................... 71 5.5.1 Relevant Atlanta Ordinances ..................................................................... 73 5.5.2 Relevant Sydney Legislation ...................................................................... 74 5.5.3 Relevant Vancouver By-laws and Provincial Statutes ................................ 75 5.6 Curbing Protest/Criminalizing Dissent ............................................................... 78 5.6.1 Relevant Atlanta Ordinance ....................................................................... 79 vi 5.6.2 Relevant Sydney Legislation ...................................................................... 79 5.6.3 Relevant Vancouver By-law ....................................................................... 80 5.7 Recent Vancouver By-Law Additions and Amendments ................................... 80 5.8 What does the future hold for the Vancouver