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Box Hill community newsletter banned by LOCOG

Volunteers had hoped to sell special road race edition for charity

A local magazine editor has resigned over a LOCOG decision to ban her newspaper, along with all other non-sponsored products, from the Box Hill area during the Olympic road race.

June Austin, who edited the Box Hill News, a 40p community publication, said that she and her staff of volunteers had already put in over 100 hours of work on the special edition, that was to be sold on the weekend of the cycling races, July 28 and 29.

But LOCOG ruled that only sponsors of the Games were allowed to trade in the area, even though the Box Hill News was raising money for charity.

Ms Austin told This Is Surrey Today: "They said the whole area would be controlled by Locog so if you're not an Olympic sponsor, you can't sell anything there.

"It would have been such an opportunity to raise money for charities in the area and they're missing out; all the money will go to the big companies."

Box Hill will be host to the men's and women's road races, and in preparation almost 270,000 sq m of road has been resurfaced. Tens of thousands of spectators are expected to be en route to watch the events, and one of the best vantage points is hosted by Road.cc.

We are teaming up with Surrey Hills AONB to bring you the Surrey Hills Road Race festival and cycling expo on the weekend of 27-29 July.

Based at Denbies Vineyard, the festival is right next to the route of the road race as it heads up the A24 ahead of the Box Hill loop, so you'll be able to watch the riders in the flesh.

It's also an official BBC Live Site, which means the nation's broadcaster will be setting up one of their big screens to relay the whole race to the festival goers. You could catch the early stages on the big telly, then wander up to the Box Hill loop to see the riders battling for position, then come back to see the finish transmitted live. Perfect.

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23 comments

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A V Lowe | 11 years ago
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Notice how Mr Crow and chums know that they can push for being paid off to keep on best behaviour for the duration.

Interesting semi debate on London Cyclist about the probity of some of the deals, which in some cases is beginning to unwind and this petition is part of the campaign

"The UK's winning Olympic bid included huge tax breaks for corporate sponsors. As a result, massive multinationals stand to make a tax-free fortune all at our expense.

If enough of us complain, then it might scare these image-conscious companies into backing down and refusing their Olympic tax-dodge.

Please add your name to the petition and shame these Olympic corporate sponsors into doing the right thing, sign the petition now."

https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/olympic-tax-dodging-petition?utm_...

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tommy2p | 11 years ago
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What if everybody decided not to buy McDonalds and Coca Cola during the games,  41 and maybe after the games?  41 Maybe they would learn a lesson in corporate greed? :D.How feasible would it be for a rich sympathetic local business person to pay for FREE distribution of the newsletter. Maybe have 100 T-shirt wearers near the event?

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batch | 11 years ago
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I shall be glad when all the unpleasantness is over...roll on Autumn and a chance to take some time off and ride my bike where and when I want.

I prefer my sport at a participatory level...I get greater benefit from doing it than watching it.

LimPicks...go suck.

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peasantpigfarmer | 11 years ago
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We as a nation are WEAK!
Don't let corporate bullies dictate to us!
WE ARE A DEMOCRACY!

Stand up to them!

The Italians and French have got it right, a law is unenforceable if the majority do not comply.
show LOCOG et all that we are not compliant lemmings oiling thier profiteering scams (there are too many to list and it's continuously growing!)

The olympics were a show of unity and sportsmanship,now it sadly is just a pocket lining exercise.

I hope Boxhill community and all shop keepers,schools,towns,villages etc. DEFY LOW-BOG and continue with their intended display of olympic spirit.

Can someone put a case for our human rights against the olympic committees?

I hope this can be resolved for the spectators sake.

Enjoy the summer everyone!

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phax71 | 11 years ago
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SHAME on everyone associated with LOCOG.

Personally, I would go ahead and sell whatever I wished (obviously without taking the Michael).

I would make sure that my subsequent arrest/incarceration/fines etc received as much Press (Guerilla or otherwise) and I would show this whole Olympic Games sham up or what it is - organised gangsterism ..... as is much of the increasing Corporate/Big Buisness filth we seem to put up with in this country.

Your average Joe has no idea what is going on with the sponsorship "shutdowns" surrounding these games ... People think I'm crazy when I tell them the details regarding, Drinks brands, Food Brands, Clothing, etc that is permissable within the "Olympic Area".

“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever.” ― George Orwell, 1984

... and no, I'm not joking.

Military Lockdown, Weapons on top of peoples homes, Coca Cola, McDonalds, VISA dictating how you go about your daily business within the "Olympic Area".

WAKE UP BRITAIN!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, F•••ing angry!!!!  1

PS - Go Wiggo, the country's all behind you...

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james-o | 11 years ago
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Quote:

Official drink of Games is Coca-Cola

Official restaurant of the Games McDonald's

https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/olympic-tax-dodging

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Bhachgen | 11 years ago
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Stumpy I know it's a couple of hours from Tyneside on the train but I'm pretty certain there are still tickets available for the matches at Hampden in Spain's group.

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Stumps replied to Bhachgen | 11 years ago
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Bhachgen wrote:

Stumpy I know it's a couple of hours from Tyneside on the train but I'm pretty certain there are still tickets available for the matches at Hampden in Spain's group.

Cheers mate, will look into that !

Its a shame its like this though as i only live 20 minutes from St James' Park.

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grantr1 | 11 years ago
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Official drink of Games is Coca-Cola

Official chocolate is Cadbury

Official restaurant of the Games McDonald's

Official disease is Type 2 Diabetes

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Thor Beverley | 11 years ago
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Stumps last time I looked there were still tickets for GB vs Brazil in 'Boro tomorrow night (warm up game)- would you lad like that?

I'm looking forward to the Olympics - haven't got any tickets though!

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Stumps | 11 years ago
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Thank God it will only be here once in my lifetime.

Apart from having my annual leave banned whilst its on - i have 2 school children and the first 3 weeks of their hols is whilst the Olympics is on.

Then having to work longer hours and rest days because G4F'ingS cant get its arse into gear so we have to cover

AND FINALLY

I cant take my laddie to see any of the footie matches at St James' Park (Brazil and Spain are playing) cos all the tickets have gone to corporate f'ing businesses from down south.

Good riddance to the whole bloody lot when its over  14

RANT OVER !

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jimmyd | 11 years ago
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In Reading emergency long term sewerage works were needed on the route that the tourch was going. The council were threatened with legal action for changing the proposed route. Quite rightly the council still went ahead with the works!! Don't let these people push you around. They already have numerous PR disasters to deal with - Poor security training/foreign wstaf working at games/foreigners carring the torch/3rd world living facilities for the cleaners/restriction on sale of chips! Have I missed any? (I expect this list to get longer!)

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londonplayer | 11 years ago
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Bullies!

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PaulVWatts | 11 years ago
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“Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power” Benito Mussolini.

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GrimpeurChris | 11 years ago
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LOCOGs Olympic legacy is the feeling of being ripped off and now charities ... LOCOG = corporate Lowlife

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Paul M | 11 years ago
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Last time I checked, the rpoad races were being held on, as the name implies, roads.

Public Highways, on which we all have the right to conduct our business unhindered.

Unless there is copyright infringement or aunauthorised use of trademarks I can see what powers LOCOG has to enfirce such a ban.

Oh, I forgot, the Olympics has given us the final push into Banana Republic (OK, Banana Monarchy) status, with its Zil lanes, closure of heavily used towpaths on "security" grounds, location of missile batteries on the roof of residential blocks etc.

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thereandbackagain replied to Paul M | 11 years ago
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Their powers come from a specific set of laws enacted by the UK government to protect the games, The London Olympic Games And Paralympic Games Act 2006

It's a totally craven set of legislation that basically can be summarised as "Oh, you want the Olympics? Then suck it up, bitch."

I hope they bury a time capsule at every venue, the content of which reads. "If in future any politician suggests hosting the Olympics, overthrow them."

We could have done so much more for the UK by spending 2-4 billion on improving health, sports, and cycling transport infrastructure. A tenth of the cost, much more than 10 times the benefit to the taxpayer.

Very few things make me really irate, but the festival of running and jumping has become one of them.

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Some Fella | 11 years ago
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To be honest this is such a British response to a ridiculous situation.
These LOCOG goons are only getting away with it because they know they probably can. The British taxpayers, who after all are coughing up the vast majority of the dough for the Olympics, should stage a huge act of civil disobedience and tell the LOCOG lot where to stuff their rules and their exclusion zones and their car lanes and entrance fees.
There are more of us than there is of them.
But we wont. I doubt French farmers or Spanish miners would be so compliant.

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CliveA | 11 years ago
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The most ludicrous aspect of this is that a community newsletter - aside from its potential benefit to the community - does absolutely no harm whatsoever to the sponsors' investment. Enforce rules on the selling of sports equipment and food? If you must. But a community newsletter? How on earth does that prejudice the return on the investment made by sponsors? This is farcical...

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antonio | 11 years ago
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Locog, 'move over, get out of our trough'.££££££££.

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Jon Burrage | 11 years ago
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says it all about the Olympics. We had someone come in today to check our Oakley display met their criteria. We are in Bristol, we stock olympic assosciated products.
They should concentrate on making it the great show it should be rather than all this bullshit that goes along with it.

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Pierre | 11 years ago
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Welcome to London 2012 (tm). Compete, pay up or get out.

I love the Olympics but I utterly loathe the disgusting monopolies of profiteering that accompany it.

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cavasta | 11 years ago
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The more I read about the stranglehold big business has over the Olympics, and the disgraceful way LOCOG enables it, the more infuriated I become.
http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/9821770.Pupils_in_opening_ceremony_get_...

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