Olympic Evictions Come to Russia

The seaside resort town of Sochi, Russia, is preparing to play host to the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Much of that preparation consists of building—arenas, athlete housing, roads and so on. But with an urban population of about 350,000, transforming Sochi into an Olympic village also means tearing down some of the city that’s already there. With the games less than two-and-a-half years away, that’s already led to the eviction and forced relocation of some locals.

About 1,000 families are being forcibly removed from their homes and neighborhoods through the government’s use of eminent domain, according to recent reports. One recent report by Agence France Presse finds that those evictions aren’t going as smoothly as the government might like. In some cases, locals have been given just hours notice before their homes are demolished to make way for sports venues and road projects.