I guess the huge perimeter was regarded as too provocative. However the protesters will be herded into two small areas. This may cause problems. Naturally the protesters will want to overflow and march into the streets. This could cause problems since no doubt police will be surrounding the areas and will arrest people and prevent protest in "unauthorised" areas.
In the Philippines many protesters take the position that restricting rights to where protest can take place is a violation of their rights (with a few exceptions perhaps). Perhaps Canadian (and US) protesters should take a similar view. Another good tactic is to put nuns in the front lines of the protest or some elderly clergy. This tends to cause restraint among the police or at least gives good photo ops for the protesters if it doesn't!
RCMP Cancels 25-km Security Perimeter for SPP in Montebello
Written by Brent Patterson
Tuesday, 14 August 2007
The RCMP has told the Council of Canadians that there will not be a 25-kilometre security perimeter and that Security and Prosperity Partnership opponents will be able to assemble in Montebello for the upcoming leaders summit.
In a new plan approved by the RCMP this past Friday, there will be two areas near the now heavily-fenced Chateau Montebello grounds where people can gather for the two-day summit which will be negotiating political and economic integration between Canada, the United States and Mexico.
We are looking at having Maude Barlow, former Mexican ambassador Gustavo Iruegas, and former US state department official Ann Wright - all opponents of the SPP - speak outside the Chateau Montebello in the early afternoon on Monday, the first day of the summit.
The Council of Canadians will also be negotiating with officials to allow a delegation led by Maude Barlow to deliver more than 10,000 petitions opposing the SPP to the gates of the Chateau Montebello.
Despite the Council's concerns about the limited size of the protest areas, it does appear that the RCMP is backing down from earlier reported plans of checkpoints outside Montebello and the turning away of cars and buses, which we believe would have been contraventions of Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
A coalition of groups will be holding an Integrate This! Public forum on Sunday August 19 at 4:00 pm at the University of Ottawa. The forum was originally scheduled to take place in a Papineauville community centre but police prevented the municipality from renting the space to the Council of Canadians. For more information on the public forum, please go to www.integratethis.ca.
Please read the Council of Canadians 'statement on non-violence'.
Brent Patterson
Director of Campaigns / Organizing
The Council of Canadians
700-170 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5V5 Canada
Tel: 1-800-387-7177 x291
www.canadians.org
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