On the morning of Oct. 2, 2009 I was leaving my hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark when I got word that Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee, had announced to the world that Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Olympics had been voted down. Even with President Barak Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Oprah and virtually the entire political class in Chicago, making public appeals in support of Chicago’s bid, the games were instead awarded to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Robert Livingstone, producer of GamesBids.com and an expert in the Olympic selection process estimated that the bidding process cost Chicago more than $100 million.

This means South America will host the Olympics for the first time in history and Rio, a city notorious for its heavily militarized policing of communities, faces a crisis in crafting its future in a way that is inclusive of all its residents.

I was in Copenhagen as part of a grassroots group called No Games Chicago (currently inactive), which called for transparency and accountability in the bid process and pointed to issues that former Mayor Daley and the City Council should have focused their attention and energy on instead. NGC was rooted in an internationalist perspective that viewed the Olympics as “one of many mega events that rotate around the world in a process controlled by corporations who profit from the exploitation of cities that bid to host these games which ultimately affect residents the most.” With this vision a commitment was made to support residents of the winning city if they organized “against” the games.

We travelled to the IOC headquarters in June 2009 and again to Copenhagen to present evidence--news articles, testimony and other reports-- that explained why Chicago could not host the games. The basic truth was ...