June 19 2004 - While the demonstration gathered around 200 persons, we never expected such a small gathering would have this impact: to inadvertently block Ste-Catherine Street, the main commercial street in Montreal!

All happened because we had this Brazilian drummers band play in front of the Roots boutique doors (Roots was until May the official provider for the Canadian Olympic team uniforms). A large crowd began to gather around us wondering what was happening. As a result the store manager had to close the doors (which were all blocked), and the crowd began to swell into the street blocking the traffic (we had no city permit to do so). Roots had this official sponsorship contract since the 1990s and recently lost it to a Canadian competitor (HBC).

Demonstration outside Canadian Olympic Committee AGM

Street theatre involving giant puppets featured in a demonstration that included the Quebec Coalition Against Sweatshops, Oxfam Quebec, Oxfam Canada, the Canadian Labour Congress and the Maquila Solidarity Network outside the Canadian Olympic Committee AGM in Montreal on 17 April 2004.

Dressed in colourful campaign t-shirts the demonstrators chanted "Ethique aux Olympiques" and handed out leaflets to passers-by. Campaigners also delivered the "Play Fair at the Olympics" report and an open letter from ex-Olympian Bruce Kidd to members of the Committee.

Media coverage resulting from the demonstration was broadcasted right across Canada. Bruce Kidd's letter was published in the Globe and Mail and Le Devoir on 16 April, also giving it national outreach. In an CBC interview, Michael Chambers, President of the COC, who will be hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics, asserted that production of athletes' sportswear is the responsibility of the IOC, although the COC is willing to examine the PLAY FAIR proposals.

Workers in the garment industry honoured in Olympic fashion

On Thursday, March 4th, Oxfam's Vancouver office, the Maquila Solidarity Network and the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE) held a media event in the heart of Vancouver's downtown shopping district to launch the Play Fair at the Olympics: Respect Workers' Rights campaign.

On hand at the event was Christina Ling, a garment worker and member of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE). She was awarded a gold medal by Miriam Palacios, Oxfam Canada's regional staff person, for the work garment workers are doing. Worldwide, they put in 45 hours of forced overtime in one week, produce 4 T-shirts a minute for 30 cents an hour, and work 16 hours per day 7 days per week.

In addition to the medal, was an action with a washing line of sportswear clothing, asking the International Olympics Committee and the Canadian Olympics Committee to clean up their "dirty laundry" and ensure that Olympic apparel is not made under sweatshop conditions.

On 1 July Matt Sheffield, the winner of the "Bridge Mile" race In Nova Scotia Canada, wore a campaign t-shirt during his run and then told local press about the Play Fair campaign.