Alarmed at the prospect of a small group of activists opposed to the Chicago Olympics holding a public forum, Chicago 2016 e-mailed their list of 10,000 volunteers urging them to attend and “show the world and the International Olympics Committee that this small group does not speak for all Chicagoans,” according to a Tribune report yesterday on Chicagobreakingnews.com.

“I think the intent of the e-mail is to try to drown out debate and discussion,” said No Games Chicago organizer Brian Quellos.

The forum takes place Saturday, January 31, at 6 p.m. at UIC Student Center East, 750 S. Halsted.

Also on Saturday, an ongoing participatory art project designed to “encourage active dialogue — at times, extremely active dialogue — around the Chicago 2016 Olympics bid” continues with games in Washington Park starting at 1 p.m.

A project of the arts group InCUBATE and artist and author Anne Elizabeth Moore, the “Unlympics” features open participation in sports, “fake sports,” and other activities.  Saturday’s events will include a run around the block, “class conscious kickball,” and a fashion competition.  (Here’s a full schedule of events, which run through February 14.)

The Unlympics site posts Chicago 2016’s e-mail to volunteers, warning them of the potential negative impact of public opposition for the Olympics bid and asking them to “come out and show your passion!” at the No Games Chicago event.

The problem with NGC, according to Chicago 2016’s email, is that “their ultimate goal is to present a one-sided view of the Olympic Games and Chicago 2016 bid through the media.”

The Unlympics commentator writes that s/he “suggested to a Chicago 2016 rep that he fund just such a panel [with more than one viewpoint], he balked, explaining that direct contact with an anti-Olympics organization would be a PR disaster.”

The Ulympics site also has a link to a rather impressive BBC timeline of Olympic corruption scandals over the past 20 years.