Vanoc Offers Protest Pens
Vanoc to provide protesting pens during Olympics
B.C. Civil Liberties Association will train legal observers
By Damian Inwood, The Province, September 16, 2009
Vancouver 2010 plans to set up protest pens outside Games venues "in plain sight of the media and public."
Olympic organizers released a list of ways it will provide a "reasonable balance of interests . . . including freedom of expression in public spaces."
Meanwhile, the B.C. Civil Liberties Association announced it will start training teams of "legal observers" to keep an eye on how police handle protests.
"For those who wish to use the 2010 Winter Games to draw attention to areas of their interest, our security partners will ensure peaceful, lawful and safe public demonstrations can occur outside of the venues in plain sight of the media and the public," said a 2010 news release. "Safe assembly areas for this purpose are being proposed by Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit (VISU) and they will be facilitated by the police of jurisdiction outside a ticketed Games venue."
Organizers say the protest zones are being developed "under three guiding principles: safety, proximity and visibility."
"Safe assembly areas for demonstrations are options for demonstrators to ensure they have a safe space reserved for them which is in plain view of the public and the media accessing the venues," added 2010. "Demonstrators are not required to use safe assembly areas, but they will be made available to ensure a clear space is maintained for demonstrations in the busy environment around each venue."
Meanwhile, BCCLA president Robert Holmes said training will start Sunday for legal observers at Britannia Community Centre at 2:30 p.m.
"Our observers will be there to record any rights violations, and while we hope that they’re bored during the Games, we suspect they’ll be busy," said Holmes.
He listed protester rights to free speech, the rights of spectators to wear the clothing they choose inside venues and the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure as key concerns.
"The BCCLA also released a number of documents obtained through freedom of information request that outline what they say is an International Olympic Committee agenda to interfere with Canadian rights to free speech.
"Individually, the documents are offensive but could be seen as an overzealous mistake," said Holmes. "When assembled, however, they paint a dire picture of an international organization that feels Canadian rights and freedoms are secondary to their motive of profit from the Olympic franchise.”
The workshops will also be held Oct. 11, Nov. 22 and Dec. 6 at the Britannia Community Centre on Commercial Drive.