ORN Member Denied Entry to US for Public Forum

- For immediate public release - Thursday, December 10, 2009

Critics of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games (being held in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada) continue to be subject to police harassment and intimidation, including another activist detained and questioned at the Pacific (Truck) Crossing border station and denied entry to the USA on Thursday, December 10, 2009.

Marla Renn, a member of the Olympic Resistance Network (ORN), was travelling to Portland, Oregon to speak on the negative impacts of the 2010 Games. Renn was scheduled to speak at educational events at Mt. Hood Community College, Reed College, Portland State University, and the Red and Black Cafe. She was held for over six hours as both Canadian and US border guards interrogated her about the subject of her speech, her contacts in Portland, and her political activities. She was previously denied entry for a Seattle speaking event on the grounds that ten anti-Olympic shirts were unauthorised commercial merchandise, but the shirts were found after she had already been questioned on political issues. Likewise, the excuse for rejecting her this time (lack of employment since her graduation in August) was brought up after her planned speech and political activities were addressed by border guards.

Renn was targeted for immediate questioning at the US border. She was photographed and fingerprinted, her property was searched, her cell phone was taken and accessed, and her documents (even the book she was reading) photocopied. She was warned that any attempt to enter the US within the next six months may result in two years imprisonment. At the Canadian side of the border, she was again searched and questioned extensively on the Portland events, her speech, and attempts to build anti-Olympic support in the USA. “Continued harassment of peaceful organisers and speakers by the police and border guards show that their real objective is to silence dissent and not to protect the public,” says Renn.

Recently, journalist Amy Goodman (of Democracy Now) was travelling to speak in Vancouver and was detained and questioned about her speech as border guards assumed she would be criticizing the Olympics. Professor Chris Shaw, also of ORN, was detained and questioned at the UK border when travelling to speak on Olympic issues at an academic conference. Other activists have been questioned and even rejected at the Canada-USA border.

Across Canada, political organisers have been subject to harassment, surveillance and questioning about anti-Olympic activism. People’s housing, academic work and employment have been jeopardized by police visits. Even family members, friends, neighbours and co-workers (people not involved in political activity) have been contacted by police. The targets of these investigations are community members involved in open public organising, with publicly accessible groups, meetings, events, and websites. Combined with the efforts of the City of Vancouver and Olympic officials to deny free expression by restricting political displays in public space, the intent is clearly to silence public criticism and traditional protest methods, such as political signs, speaking events, marches, and rallies.

Contact: Marla Renn, 604-788-3995

Olympics activist detained six hours at US border
By Geoff Dembicki December 11, 2009, The Tyee.ca

A local 2010 Games activist called security tactics “shocking” after a six hour interrogation at the U.S. border yesterday.

“We must be doing something right if we are facing these increasing levels of reaction,” Olympics Resistance Network member Marla Renn told the Tyee.

The Vancouver-based activist was en route to Portland to give a speech critical of the Games. By Renn's own account, U.S. guards refused to let her cross the border. They cited her lack of employment. She finished school three months ago, and doesn’t have a job.

Renn claimed she was photographed, fingerprinted and searched. Guards went through her cell phone. She was grilled by Canadian and American officials about her anti-Olympics activism and contacts in the U.S. The interrogation lasted hours, Renn said.

“It suggests to me that there’s an effort that’s being put in to create obstacles for anti-Olympic activists to coordinate with each other across the border,” she said.

This is second time in the past few months Renn was denied access to the U.S. In October, she and activist Gord Hill were barred on their way to an Olympics talk in Seattle. They were carrying merchandise without the proper documents.

At the time, a spokesperson for US Customs and Border Protection said Canada and the U.S. share security intelligence all the time.

“We do that on an ongoing basis,” Mike Milne said. “It certainly would be applicable during the Games as well.”

American border officials ultimately decide who gets into the country. But Canadian authorities could warn them about potential security threats.

“There are a number of people on any daily basis that are flagged,” Milne said.

Renn’s refusal at the border yesterday is the latest in a recent outburst of Olympics controversy.

News of U.S. journalist Amy Goodman’s grilling by Canadian border guards was greeted by outrage within activist communities. And Victoria police chief Jamie Graham recently admitted an undercover officer drove protesters to the torch-relay kick-off in October.

“It’s shocking,” Renn said. “Even speaking about the Olympics is seen as threatening. That’s a dangerous place for a society to be.”

Geoff Dembicki reports for the Tyee.

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Olympic critic says she was denied entry to U.S., harassed at border
By Carlito Pablo - Georgia Straight Online - Publish Date: December 11, 2009

Anti-war activist and Olympic critic Marla Renn says she was given a hard time by both U.S. and Canadian border guards yesterday (December 10).

Renn was searched and questioned by American officials, and later denied entry. At the Canadian side, she was also searched and interrogated.

Here’s an excerpt from the press release she sent out yesterday:

Marla Renn, a member of the Olympic Resistance Network (ORN), was travelling to Portland, Oregon to speak on the negative impacts of the 2010 Games. Renn was scheduled to speak at educational events at Mt. Hood Community College, Reed College, Portland State University, and the Red and Black Cafe. She was held for over six hours as both Canadian and US border guards interrogated her about the subject of her speech, her contacts in Portland, and her political activities. She was previously denied entry for a Seattle speaking event on the grounds that ten anti-Olympic shirts were unauthorised commercial merchandise, but the shirts were found after she had already been questioned on political issues. Likewise, the excuse for rejecting her this time (lack of employment since her graduation in August) was brought up after her planned speech and political activities were addressed by border guards.

Renn was targeted for immediate questioning at the US border. She was photographed and fingerprinted, her property was searched, her cell phone was taken and accessed, and her documents (even the book she was reading) photocopied. She was warned that any attempt to enter the US within the next six months may result in two years imprisonment. At the Canadian side of the border, she was again searched and questioned extensively on the Portland events, her speech, and attempts to build anti-Olympic support in the USA. “Continued harassment of peaceful organisers and speakers by the police and border guards show that their real objective is to silence dissent and not to protect the public,” says Renn.

The release notes that journalist Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! was recently detained and questioned at the Canada-U.S. border.

It also states:

Across Canada, political organisers have been subject to harassment, surveillance and questioning about anti-Olympic activism. People’s housing, academic work and employment have been jeopardized by police visits. Even family members, friends, neighbours and co-workers (people not involved in political activity) have been contacted by police. The targets of these investigations are community members involved in open public organising, with publicly accessible groups, meetings, events, and websites. Combined with the efforts of the City of Vancouver and Olympic officials to deny free expression by restricting political displays in public space, the intent is clearly to silence public criticism and traditional protest methods, such as political signs, speaking events, marches, and rallies.