News media from around the world are reporting on an international campaign that calls on the International Olympic Committee to drop resource giant Rio Tinto as an official supplier of the 2012 London Games.
Rio Tinto's treatment of its own workers and the communities in which it operates does not live up to the Olympic spirit, say campaign organizers.
A sample of international media coverage of the Off The Podium campaign:
Rio Tinto Workers Challenge Company in London
MetroNews Canada, 17 April 2012
- OTTAWA - Officials of the union representing locked out Rio Tinto Alcan workers in Quebec were in London on Monday to denounce the mining giant's participation in the upcoming Olympic Games.
Rio Tinto Targeted in Campaign Against Olympic Sponsors
KUER Public Radio, 17 April 2012 - "Rio Tinto by virtue of its size and age, has quite an impressive history of involvement with environmental devastation, association of human rights abuse, and bad labor relations."
London 2012: Protest Groups Target BP, Dow and Rio Tinto
BBC News, UK, 16 April 2012
- The protest campaign - called Greenwash Gold 2012 - has targeted Dow Chemical Company, BP and Rio Tinto. The group has made three animated films about the firms and members of the public will be invited to vote online for the "worst corporate sponsor."
Locked Out Workers Launch International Campaign to Get Rio Tinto 'OFF the Podium
Einnews Portugal, 17 April 2012 - One of the world's largest industrial unions, the United Steelworkers (USW), is calling for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to drop multinational resource firm Rio Tinto as an official supplier of the 2012 London Games.
Tell the IOC to Get Rio Tinto Off the Podium!
No Sweat, UK, 16 April 2012
- Mining giant Rio Tinto is providing 99% of the fine metals that go into the Olympic Summer Games medals, and yet the company does not live up to the Olympic spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play when it comes to its treatment of its workers, their families and communities.
New Protest Against Olympic Sponsors
Times of India, 17 April 2012
- The Greenwash Gold coalition unveiled on Monday a movement against three controversial sponsors of the London Olympics, accusing them of using the Games to "greenwash" unethical corporate activities.
'Greenest ever' Olympics Claims Dismissed as Corporate Spin
The Independent, UK, 17 April 2012
- BP, Rio Tinto and Dow Chemical Company, who have paid tens of millions of pounds to become Olympic sponsors, collectively face allegations of causing environmental degradation, damaging public health and failing to clean up their pollution.
Olympic Protesters Target Dow, BP, Rio Tinto
Forbes, UK, 17 April 2012
- The "Greenwash Gold 2012″ campaign, which was unveiled today at a reception in London, targets Dow, oil giant BP and mining company Rio Tinto
Protest Groups Target Three Olympic Sponsors
Scotsman, Scotland, 17 April 2012
- The protest campaign has Dow Chemical Company, BP and Rio Tinto in its sights.
Activists Give Olympic Sponsors the Wrong Kind of Publicity
The Week UK, 16 April 2012
- Activists have fired a warning shot at sponsors of this summer's Olympics with a campaign to ask the public to vote for London 2012's worst corporate partner. There are three options to choose from: Rio Tinto, Dow Chemical and BP.
Protest Groups Set To Ramp Up Campaigns
Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 17 April 2012
- Campaign argues that Dow Chemical, oil company BP and mining giant Rio Tinto should not be involved in the Olympics.
Coalition of Environmental and Human Rights Groups Launch Olympic Sponsor Protest Campaign
Insidethegames.biz, 17 April 2012
- "Rio Tinto (has) a long history of problematic mining and negative relationships with the communities where they operate."
Focus on Protests at Olympics
Newstalk ZB, 16 April 2012 - "They say at least three of the sponsors have got a tarnished record as polluters, the oil giants - BP followed by Rio Tinto, and Dow Chemicals."
More information: OFFthePodium.org