UK/FILE - OLYMPICS 2012: Protesters hold anti-Dow Olympic demonstration in London.

Record ID: 331082

  • Title: UK/FILE - OLYMPICS 2012: Protesters hold anti-Dow Olympic demonstration in London.
  • Date: 28th June 2012
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (RECENT) (REUTERS) OLYMPIC STADIUM WITH THE ARCELORMITTAL ORBIT OBSERVATION TOWER
  • Embargoed: 13th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVABEUINKVWPOZSZNR1J8YK6PC0Z
  • Story Text: With just one month to go to the London Olympics, campaigners against Dow Chemical's sponsorship of the Olympics held a 'die-in' by the Olympic Clock in Trafalgar Square on Wednesday (June 27). It was part of a global day of action coinciding with celebrations marking the 30-day countdown to the Games.
    The world's second largest chemical manufacturer is funding a 7 million pound (11 million USD) fabric wrap for the Olympic stadium in East London.
    The campaign, Bhopal Medical Appeal is calling for company's sponsorship to be dropped due to Dow's connections to the Bhopal gas disaster in 1984.
    Dow bought Union Carbide, the company which owned the factory in Bhopal when the gas leak occurred, in 2001.
    "I'm here to protest on what's happening with Dow who has put the wrap around the Olympics and also we are doing it in an international level today so there are people in Bhopal, there are people in America, there are people in Canada; everyone's together and that's the power we feel today as we stand here," said Farah Edwards Khan, a survivor of the Bhopal disaster and part of the Bhopal Medical Appeal.
    The Appeal is accusing the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) of having 'blood on its hands' for the sponsorship deal with a company which has links to the pesticide factory which, campaigners say, killed as many as 25,000 residents of Bhopal in India.
    Dow Chemical had hoped an Olympic sponsorship would boost its global cache, but the Bhopal disaster threatens to curb some of the benefits from the 100million dollar (USD) advertising deal.
    "We would like LOCOG to issue an apology and a statement retracting their support of Dow Chemical," said Colin Toogood of the Bhopal Medical Appeal.
    "We have an awful a lot of support for that aim not least from Amnesty International and all the various groups you see here and we think that it is very realistic and very possible for them to do that."
    Edwards Khan added: "Money's more important to them, it's not people and human lives and that's how it's going to be. I would want a reaction from but they are just all going to sit down and hide themselves and that's how it's going to be."
    In 1984 the plant was owned by a subsidiary of Union Carbide, which sold the facility in 1994. Dow bought Union Carbide in 2001.
    In 1989 Union Carbide paid 470million dollars compensation to victims.
    Now campaigners around the world such as Amnesty International and Greenpeace as well as some members of the British Parliament have demanded Dow increase compensation to Bhopal residents still suffering on contaminated land.
    The Indian Government wants Dow to pay an additional $1.7billion but Dow has refused, saying it has no responsibility for Bhopal and that Union Carbide settled liabilities.
    Both LOCOG and the IOC have defended choosing Dow as an Olympic sponsor, saying the company can not be held responsible for Bhopal.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Video restrictions: parts of this video may require additional clearances. Please see ‘Business Notes’ for more information.
Register