Written by Elizabeth McLeod
December 28 was supposed to be a day of unity for Guelph, as the Olympic torch relay passed through the city. Torchbearer Cortney Hansen, the successful applicant who earned the duty of carrying the torch, awaited a very proud moment. These hopes went askew, however, and Guelph was brought to the nation’s attention, and not in the way that had been anticipated.
The torch and flame have long been symbols of the Olympic Games, with origins dating back to ancient Greece and the first Olympics. For the purpose of the relay, the torch is ignited months before the intended games at the birthplace of the Olympics, Olympia, Greece. The torch is proposed to be a symbol of peace between participants and continents.
Canadian groups protesting the Olympics, such as the Olympic Resistance Network, present a different version of flame folklore.
According to the Olympic Resistance Network, the Olympics are, “far from being simply about sport, the history of the Olympics is one rooted in displacement, corporate greed, repression, and violence. The effects of the upcoming Winter Games are apparent to everyone – expansion of sport tourism on Indigenous lands, and increasing homelessness.”
There have been no shortage of protests along the path of the torch relay across Canada, and at times, these groups have been noted as a security threat.
Anna Hunter of the Olympic Resistance Network outlined the aims and means of the organization in a press release.
“Simplistically classifying Olympic resistance and disruptions as violent is a scare tactic,” said Hunter. “We will do whatever we can to disrupt the 2010 Olympic Winter Games because disruption has proved extremely successful.”
It was these grievances that led to the organization of a protest held in St. George’s Square on Dec. 28. The protest organizers of Olympic Resistance Guelph had hoped to raise awareness of the negative impacts of the Olympic Games and to send a message of unity to all of those being affected. A seemingly peaceful protest at the outset, with the initial distribution of pamphlets, the events that transpired brought Guelph’s leg of the torch relay to the nation’s attention.
The relay traveled down Wyndham St. N., and as it came to MacDonnell St., a group of protesters approached the entourage. It was at this time that Hansen fell to the ground. The flame was not extinguished in the fall, and Hansen was able to finish her leg of the race, however, the incident certainly did not go unnoticed.
This was the first instance of physical confrontation in the torch’s journey thus far.
Guelph Police, in cooperation with specialty RCMP security detail, were positioned at the run spots across the city, yet due to the random and isolated nature of this incident, it was unforeseeable and therefore impossible to plan for.
“[The incident] was a black eye to Guelph on a day of celebration,” said Sgt. Douglas Pflug of the Guelph Police department. “Guelph prides itself in being ranked one of the safest cities in Canada and it is unfortunate that an incident of this nature tainted this day where Guelph was on the national stage.”
Pflug asserted that the police “recognize the right to protest, but in this case, the protest unfortunately had unconstructive effects.”
Brittney Simpson, 19, and Kelly Pflug-Back (of no relation to Sgt. Pflug), 20, are the two protesters who have been charged with assault in connection with the incident and are to appear in court in February.
Conflicting reports have surfaced in regard to the charges.
Protesters claim that police initiated the contact and that no protester ever made contact with Hansen, and that she simply fell. Other accounts claim that Hansen seemingly tripped over the leg of a police officer who was struggling with protesters. The investigation into the cause of the fall is ongoing at this time.