[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Jacob]

Looks like today might be the day they move to clear up Ottawa.

[Jacob]

Looks like it's happening. They arrested Pat King, the last one of the three main organizers at large.

Police officers are arresting several defiant protesters as they move toward Parliament Hill in downtown Ottawa as part of the operation to end the three-week occupation.

Ottawa police were seen moving along Colonel By Drive, Sussex Drive, and Rideau and Wellington streets in "public order units" early Friday afternoon arresting several protesters and towing vehicles.

Police were seen smashing the window of one truck to pull the occupant out and arrest him. Protesters who refused to move were arrested one by one before they were taken away by pairs of officers.

CBC News has confirmed one of the convoy leaders, Pat King, was among those arrested.

The public order units included officers in high-visibility yellow jackets moving in large groups, several ranks deep, along Rideau and Colonel By and slowly moving protesters toward the National War Memorial and Parliament Hill.

Behind those ranks of officers were tactical teams wearing green camouflage-type gear. Police horses with mounted officers also moved toward the line of protesters confronting police officers.

Police were also moving a number of black light-armoured vehicles slowly behind the officers who were on foot.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/police-action-convoy-protest-1.6356444

[Jacob]

Also (from the same article):

CBC reporters on the ground report police officers removing children from the protest site. One man who was arrested by police was being taken away while his family members, including children, were being led along behind him.

The Children's Aid Society of Ottawa said Friday it was working with police to keep children in the downtown core safe and police confirmed protesters were putting their children in harm's way.

Protestors have put children between police operations and the unlawful protest site.

The children will be brought to a place of safety.

[Jacob]

If anyone is interested, there's live coverage of the operation in Ottawa here: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1964552259506

[Grey Fox]

I like the contrast of the SQ cops uniform from the 70s while the OPP and Toronto officers have modern uniforms.

SQ gives quite the aura of we're here to smash mouths not negotiate.

[Jacob]

I like the contrast of the SQ cops uniform from the 70s while the OPP and Toronto officers have modern uniforms.

SQ gives quite the aura of we're here to smash mouths not negotiate.

Yeah no kidding.

When the CBC show the overhead maps I can see my high school. It feels really personal.

[Jacob]

Looks like there's pretty good progress on clearing out the protestors in Ottawa. A few of observations:

1. We're seeing a pretty good counter argument to "defund the police" IMO.

2. We are also seeing a very restrained, professional response by the police. I hope this is the benchmark for how protests are handled moving forward, whatever the political persuasion of protestors.

3. The handling of this has caused coverage of the protests (and the clearing of them) to fall off the coverage by the international media I follow regularly. Of course, there are the Olympics, Russia's belligerence, and a major storm in Europe... but nonetheless it was there earlier.

[Jacob]

Also, this morning the number of protestors was pretty sparse, but more people have filtered in (and vehicles have left) over the course of the day so far.

One commentator - a retired police chief - noted that the crowd's gender balanced has shifted. Yesterday there was a high proportion of women among the protestors. Today, there's a significantly higher proportion of males, and they're rowdier.

Today, also, the police are wearing helmets and have truncheons (but haven't used them for anything other than pushing yet).

[viper37]

It's official!
They apply their shitty laws even before they are adopted!
My bank accounts
My credit cards
Everything is frozen since yesterday morning!
Protesting is a fundamental right now forbidden!
I don't give a fuck, I knew it was coming!
Fuck you mondial banks!
Fuck you mondialists!


Yep.  Typical ultra-right wing protester, no doubt about it. 

[viper37]

Also, this morning the number of protestors was pretty sparse, but more people have filtered in (and vehicles have left) over the course of the day so far.

One commentator - a retired police chief - noted that the crowd's gender balanced has shifted. Yesterday there was a high proportion of women among the protestors. Today, there's a significantly higher proportion of males, and they're rowdier.

Today, also, the police are wearing helmets and have truncheons (but haven't used them for anything other than pushing yet).

LCN (Le Canal Nouvelle; Québécor Media, leftwing populist newschannel) gave voice to the protesters.  With no surprise whatsoever, some of the protesters reported people were killed after a cavalry charge.      And obviously, it made a stir on Facebook, for some.  No retraction from them as it was proven false...

[Jacob]

No doubt about it Viper. There are definitely some flaky leftist type anti-establishment types in the mix as well, as well as some anti-establishment types who'll freely mix from left and right as long as it feeds their rage.

[Grey Fox]

I don't agree that LCN is left at all. Quebecor is an old fashion neo liberal company.

[Malthus]

The whole politics around police actions in protests has been very odd, with each political extreme switching roles when it comes to "their" protests ... the right cheers when the cops crack down on the left, and vice versa. Also, each side accuses the cops and politicians of favouritism, that they are harsher on "their" side.

The reality appears to be that the Canadian way, at least, is usually to allow protests to go on for a while, and only to crack down when the protestors refuse to go away in response to injunctions. Though the cops and politicians often screw things up.

A notable example of the cops screwing up was the protest over the G20, where the cops cracked down immediately and hard - so much so they got sued. In Ottawa, the cops erred in the opposite direction, and waited too long; and arguably, the politicians screwed up, by imposing the Act when it strictly speaking wasn't necessary. So each side has some ammo for arguing they are being treated differently. 

My perspective: cops are definitely necessary, to avoid protestors blockading our lives. People have a right to protest, regardless of how dumb or offensive their message is, but not an absolute right; that would interfere too much with other people's rights. Ideally, cops and politicians should not care what the message is when responding to a protest, only with how it is expressed (peaceably, or with rioting?). When a protest has gone on too long or becomes too riotous or disruptive, legal process should be used to declare it at an end, and if people refuse, police intervention is necessary. Because otherwise, political minorities with a grievance can hold the rest of us hostage.

[crazy canuck]

I don't agree that LCN is left at all. Quebecor is an old fashion neo liberal company.

Yeah, increasingly I wonder where Viper gets his information from which he is forming his views.  Characterizing Quebecor as leftwing populist is bizarre.  If what he is taking in makes them look that way, it says a lot of how far right wing his trusted sources of information are.

@Malthus, that seems to be more the Ontario way - and particularly the notion that the police need injunctions in place before they act.  As I noted upthread a few days ago, that approach has been heavily criticized by the the judiciary in the Supreme Court of British Columbia.  The courts here require the police to do their job to enforce the laws in place rather than turn the courts into an instrument of enforcement.

I agree with your sentiment in the last paragraph - but peaceful protest also means lawful protest and so long as the laws in place meet Charter requirements it is a good balance. 

[viper37]

No doubt about it Viper. There are definitely some flaky leftist type anti-establishment types in the mix as well, as well as some anti-establishment types who'll freely mix from left and right as long as it feeds their rage.

Finally, we agree on two things on this board.