Activists Deny Police 'Consultations' on 2010

Police are now claiming that their prior attempts at interrogation and recruitment of informants (as well as harassment & intimidation) were all part of their efforts at 'community consultation'. To see the ORN statement about what to do when police come knocking, go here: http://www.no2010.com/node/614

Activists dispute claim of 2010 civil rights consultations

By Stephanie Levitz, THE CANADIAN PRESS, Jan 28, 2009

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Police say they have been meeting with critics of the
2010 Winter Games to discuss security plans for the duration of the
international event.

But that comes as news to many of the leading watchdog groups, who say
they haven't heard anything from the integrated policing unit that will be
responsible for securing the Games - and respecting civil rights while
they do it.

Assistant Commissioner Bud Mercer, the head of the RCMP-led Olympic
security team, said protest groups are at the table as the unit works
toward its security planning.

"Our community relations group actively is reaching out to protest groups
that we have identified or that have been self-identified and we'll
continue to work with them to determine how we fit, how we can help, how
can we can facilitate," said Mercer.

The Integrated Security Unit, or ISU, is a consortium of local police,
RCMP, the Canadian military and other agencies.

The commitment to work with residents to make sure civil rights are
protected during the Games is part of an agreement the ISU, Olympic
organizers and the governments signed prior to Vancouver winning the bid.

But the unit refuses to release a list of the groups it's working with and
the leaders of the major Olympic protest groups say they haven't been
contacted.

"I certainly haven't been (contacted) and I don't know others who have
been, up till now," said Chris Shaw, who has written a book about the
Vancouver Olympics and runs an anti-Olympic website.

A leader with the Olympic Resistance Network, Harsha Walia, said she
hasn't heard from police either.

"It appears that (the security unit) and (Games organizers) are trying to
fool the public yet again with their false claims," Walia said in an
e-mail.

"They want us to believe that Olympics security measures will respect the
democratic rights of protesters, when the reality is the stark opposite:
Such measures are intended to dissuade... and repress Olympics
opposition."

With just over a year until the Olympics, security remains one of the
biggest question marks.

The security budget has yet to be unveiled and while some elements of the
plan have been revealed, the ISU repeatedly cites security concerns when
pressed for details.

Documents released under Access to Information suggest that while the unit
may not be publicly meeting with protest groups, they are watching them.

Organizations like the Anti-Poverty Committee and No One is Illegal
Vancouver have been specifically mentioned as being potential direct
threats to the Games.

Despite that, no one at either group said they've been officially
contacted by police, though some members report being approached to be
informants.

While activists are free to protest during the Games, Mercer suggested
he's open to creating "protest parks" for the Olympics.

"What we're suggesting is that we'll work with you and try to designate a
place where you can get your message out and it'll be a place that you may
be more comfortable with than standing on the sidewalk," he said.

He said the idea of designated protest sites will depend on the success of
working with the groups.

The ISU won't release a list of groups they're working with.

"In order to ensure that we can continue those discussions based on a
level of trust, it is not appropriate to provide those names publicly,"
said spokeswoman Cpl. Jennifer Allan.

An official with the Olympic organizing committee, known as VANOC, said
they haven't had direct consultations on the issue of civil rights, but
they are working to organize something.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, which has
promised wide-scale Olympic protest, said he anticipates a call but hasn't
got one yet.

He said his office did get a call from West Vancouver police a few months
ago that seemed to be in regard to the Olympics, but nothing came of it.

"Obviously they have an interest in meeting with us and obviously it
doesn't appear to be that urgent," he said.

Allan did confirm a meeting with the Civil Liberties Advisory Committee, a
panel of experts struck by the B.C. Civil Liberties Association to help
guide the unit on civil rights.

There was just the one meeting, about a year ago, and it was only to meet
the planning team.

Jerry Paradis, a retired judge who oversees the committee's work, said
when they asked for more details on the security plan, the response was
off-putting enough to freeze any further talks.

Dialogue was revived earlier this month.

"We're optimistic that having renewed contact we will be better able to
perform our function as a purely advisory committee," said Paradis.

Activist Garth Mullins said the first he heard from police about the
Olympics was last week.

Mullins said three officers approached him, saying they were with the
ISU's activist-liaison group.

"They told me that they're just starting and that they have tried to talk
to a couple of groups," Mullins said.

Allan said consultations have been taking place since 2007.