35 Pages of Nothing
Earlier this week the City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games had a meeting where the long-promised LA28 Olympics Human Rights Strategy was delivered, roughly nine years after the bid was rubberstamped by LA politicians. We were there to witness and participate. Unfortunately, LA28 representatives failed to show up in person. Despite the fact that they employ hundreds of people, somehow none of them cared enough to show up to present and listen to feedback.
This Human Rights Strategy initially had a deadline of December 31, 2025, which LA28 clearly missed, as it has so many deadlines. Then in April, the report magically appeared in the LA City Clerk file in April of 2026, while being back-dated to December 19, 2025, as Olympic beat reporter Alissa Walker noted. The meeting proceedings followed a familiar pattern of “disappointment” for members like Monica Rodriguez, who fully endorsed and voted for the Olympics back in 2017. They are starting to get the message: they have no control over LA28.
The Olympics exploit themes such as “Sustainability,” “Human Rights,” and “Legacy” to create meaningless PDFs and presentations, which are supposed to help the Olympic pill go down smoother and distract from the idea that the whole operation is a crude cash grab. It’s lazy PR, and no one in the room seemed to be buying it on either end of the chambers.
Here is what one of our members told the committee during public comment, which sums up how truly senseless of a “strategy” LA28 is trying to sell:
“LA28’s Human Rights Strategy document completely fails to acknowledge that some of the most serious human rights abuses at mega-events come from the events’ own massive security apparatuses. The militarization of the streets with unparalleled numbers of local police, out-of-state police, federal agents, private security, and military troops puts Angelenos at risk, especially Angelenos of color, immigrants, unhoused Angelenos, and folks who work as street vendors or sex workers.
- How, in a human rights strategy document released in 2026, is there no mention of ICE? How is there no mention of the RISKS that come with the expanded information sharing and collaboration between local and federal agencies?
- How is there a discussion of privacy that does not mention the expanded use of AI-powered facial recognition technology at stadiums and in their surroundings?
- How is there no discussion of any of the other surveillance apparatuses and military-grade weaponry that will be in place for the Games and will likely be an unwanted legacy long after?
- How is it that LA28’s own report acknowledges that sex trafficking doesn’t necessarily increase with mega-events, yet it still calls for an expansive policing operation that will put the rights, well-being, and livelihoods of sex workers at risk?
- How is there no discussion of the security perimeters that will limit mobility and access to public spaces like parks?
The section on unhoused communities says individuals may be relocated due to “safety requirements,” a vague phrase that could be loosely applied to justify any removal. Whose safety are we talking about? Because we know that forcing unhoused people from the spaces they have chosen to occupy makes them less safe, as they’re removed from key resources and community networks. Nobody should be relocated for this corporate party for the rich.
Finally, the fact that this plan lacks funding is additional confirmation that human rights have never been a priority concern for LA28. This strategy is primarily a PR document, not a meaningful commitment to human rights.”
Here is a link to audio of the full meeting.