As sponsors of the Paralympic, Atos joins Rio Tinto Zinc (RTZ) which will supply medals from copper mines whose pollution is blamed for deaths and birth disabilities; and Dow Chemical Co. which is spending $11.4m on the Olympics, but refusing proper compensation and clean-up to survivors of the Bhopal gas disaster.
Bhopal survivors and Indian athletes are calling for the London Olympics Committee to drop Dow, and for a boycott. Dow also made the chemical weapons Agent Orange and napalm used in the Vietnam war.
3 December was the 27th anniversary of the Bhopal tragedy in India, and saw a big protest there, led by women gas survivors. Shockingly, the Bhopal police, wielding long batons called lathis, beat and tear-gassed the demonstrators when they went to peacefully blockade the rail tracks in support of their demands. Many have lung damage from the 1984 gas explosion. See: http://bhopal.net/
Nottingham's 'Atos Two' Charged:
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2168
Solidarity With Nottingham’s ‘Atos Two’:
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2207
Statement of Support for the 'Atos Two':
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2195
To sign the statement of support please emailL: nottsdefence@riseup.net
