Rio Tinto Olympic sponsorship announcement derailed

RIO TINTO'S OLYMPIC sponsorship announcement was hit by a rearguard action from groups protesting about its Alaskan explorations. The global minerals group signed a deal with LOCOG to provide the precious metals that will go into the 2012 metals in the process becoming the 40th domestic Olympic sponsor. However its day in the sun was overshadowed by full-page media ads accusing it of riding roughshod over the environment and the impact on native Alaskan communities as a result of mining activities. The Olympics has often been a lightning rod for protesters who are keen to expose any split between the values embodied by the rings and the practices of corporate supporters. In this instance the activists were not timing their move to coincide with the Olympic announcement but in an attempt to disrupt Rio Tinto’s AGM which took place in London’s Queen Elizabeth conference centre. - 14/4/2011