No Games Chicago organizer Tom Tresser (www.tresser.com) gave this presentation on their campaign from 2009 at the 2024 conference of the Academy of Leisure Sciences in New Orleans, Janaury 31, 2024. https://www.2024talsconference.com/keynotes - NGC = www.nogameschicago.com. Reach Tom at tom@tresser.com. The simple URL for this presentation = www.tinyurl.com/TALS-NGC-Intro

1. As told by Tom Tresser, No Games Chicago co-organizer.

2. Coming Summer 2024!
Sign up to get advance notice of availability!
www.nogameschicagobook.com

3. In Chicago, in 2008, it was the
2016 bid all the time.
Everywhere.

15. No Games Chicago
• Diverse group social justice activists
• North side, south side, west side
• All volunteers
• Not funded by any organization
• First event public forum @ UIC 1/31/09
attended by 250

16. Why We Opposed the Games
• They would’ve bankrupted the city
• They would’ve privatized the city for 7
years
• They would’ve destroyed public parks
• They would’ve militarized the city
• They would’ve displaced poor and
working-class families from
neighborhoods next to venue sites
• They would’ve provided tens of
millions of dollar to the Machine’s
political coffers. Result: destruction of
independent politics.

17. What We Did
• Deep research
• Sought allies, built alliances
• Solid strategy – Direct Action
Organizing framework
• Resourceful, creative, nimble execution
of tactics
• Able to raise sufficient $
• Ground game PLUS online organizing
• Drama – visit IOC (twice)
• Communicated powerfully to the IOC

20. January 31, 2009 – University of Illinois, Chicago

21. Dr. Chris Shaw, leader of Vancouver Olympic
Opposition, author of “Five Ring Circus”

32. Watch brief news clip from ABC News Chicago.

35. “I’m from the South Side…”
YOU WILL NEVER
GUESS WHO
MARTIN RAN INTO
LAUSANNE IN OUR
HOTEL LOBBY!

39. POST CARD MAILED TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE
IOC IN SEPTEMBER AND HAND DELIVERED IN
COPENHAGEN.

51. CHICAGO 2016 RAISED
ABOUT $90 MILLION.
CHICAGO RECEIVED
18 VOTES.

52. THAT’S ABOUT $5 MILLION
PER VOTE.
EXPENSIVE, EVEN FOR
CHICAGO’S MACHINE.

53. IMAGINE WHAT WE
COULD’VE DONE WITH
$90 MILLION IN THOSE
HARD TIMES!

54. Lessons Un-learned
• Grassroots vision of local
prosperity aka “Who plans what for
who, who profits FROM those
plans?
• Privatization
• Corruption and insider deals
• Death of democracy/civic discourse
in Chicago
• Who is watching out for us?