[asia-apec 765] G&M: Files show PMO involved in APEC security
Sharon R.A. Scharfe
pet at web.net
Wed Oct 7 22:38:45 JST 1998
Globe and Mail
October 7, 1998
THE APEC FUROR
PM's aides talked to police just before APEC incident
Files show PMO deeply involved in security
planning at Vancouver summit
Wednesday, October 7, 1998
JANE ARMSTRONG
British Columbia Bureau
Vancouver -- The Prime Minister's Office was in
contact with RCMP
officers just moments before police dispersed a group
of protesters with
pepper spray at the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation
summit last fall,
according to RCMP documents released yesterday.
That is revealed in a transcript of what appears to be
a radio conversation
between two RCMP officers assigned to control
demonstrators at the
APEC leaders meeting at the University of British
Columbia on Nov. 25,
1997.
One of the two is Superintendent Wayne May, a senior
officer in charge
of security at the summit, who says:
"Yeah, we got, looks like they are trying to block all
the ah, exits here. . . .
And we got to start moving just talking to the Prime
Minister's Office here
and they figure about 4 o'clock and if there's any
delay the PM's going to
be wantin', wanting a full briefing and try to figure
out how to get him
out."
Another officer, Murray Johnson, responds: "Okay, what
they are doing is
they're, they're moving people over onto Southwest
Marine Drive and
University Avenue."
The conversation was recorded moments after the
leaders' meeting had
broken up at UBC's Museum of Anthropology.
The officers were discussing how best to get the
motorcade of world
leaders past the protesters. Dozens of protesters were
pepper-sprayed
and scores were arrested, although no one was charged.
The transcript was among hundreds of pages of
documents released
yesterday to the RCMP Public Complaints Commission.
The complainants believe RCMP officers were acting on
orders from
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's office.
They believe he instructed the RCMP to disperse the
crowd to shield his
guests from the embarrassment of confronting protesters.
His chief concern was for the comfort of former
Indonesian president
Suharto, who had a particular dislike for demonstrators.
The boxes of documents -- contained in 10 binders --
show the degree to
which the Prime Minister's Office was involved in the
planning of security
at the summit. One exchange of RCMP memos shows that Mr.
Chrétien's chief of operations, Jean Carle, was
instrumental in changing
the security zone at UBC to ensure demonstrators
weren't seen by the
leaders.
A memo Sept. 27 from Inspector Bill Dingwall to
Superintendent May
states that Mr. Carle changed an agreement the federal
government had
already reached with UBC concerning where protests
would be allowed.
The university had insisted that students be able to
see the leaders.
"The existing path will be used (bringing the carts up
to the road and then
in the driveway). Plants etc. will have to be brought
in to provide cover
also to continue the look of the path. Jean Carle does
not want the
demonstrators close at all! which will mean moving
back our perimeter."
Another E-mail from Insp. Dingwall on Sept. 4 again
notes that Mr. Carle
wanted the demonstrators kept away from the leaders.
It also shows that
Mr. Chrétien's chief spokesperson, Peter Donolo, had
input in the matter.
"As discussed, can you prepare a couple of perimeter
plans outlining the
possible locations for our barricades paying
particular attention to Jean
Carle [PMO Director of Operations] and Robert's
request to have
demonstrators pushed back a bit further than
originally planned. As Peter
Donollo [sic, PMO Director of Communications]
indicated, those who
want to demonstrate/make comment continue to have
plenty of
opportunities to do so throughout the conference."
The documents released yesterday corroborate a seres
of media leaks
over the last two weeks that linked the PMO to the
severity of the police
crackdown.
A lawyer for one of the complainants said the
documents are proof the
PMO was involved in the RCMP response. And Joseph
Arvay said the
material should be enough evidence to force the Prime
Minister to testify.
Mr. Arvay, who is representing protester Craig Jones,
wants the
commission to subpoena the Prime Minister, External
Affairs Minister
Lloyd Axworthy, Solicitor-General Andy Scott and
several other top
RCMP officials.
"They have relevant evidence," Mr. Arvay said. "It's
clear they are
central players in the APEC fiasco."
If the commission declines to call the Prime Minister,
it will send a
message to the public that Mr. Chrétien is privileged
and above the law,
he said.
Other RCMP documents released yesterday suggest the
police force was
proud of how it handled APEC security.
THE NEXT MEMO
Partial Sept. 4, 1997, memo from Inspector Bill
Dingwall, one of the
senior RCMP officers assigned to APEC security, to
Corporal Peter
Koleyak:
Our meeting with Robert Vanderloo yesterday refers. As
discussed, can
you prepare a couple of perimeter plans outlining the
possible locations for
our barricades paying particular attention to Jean
Carle [PMO Director of
Operations] and Robert's request to have demonstrators
pushed back a bit
further than originally planned. As Peter Donollo[sic,
PMO Director of
Communications] indicated, those who want to
demonstrate/make
comment continue to have plenty of opportunities to do
so throughout the
conference.
THE MOUNTIE MEMO
Part of a memo on Aug. 27, 1997, from Inspector Bill
Dingwall, one
of the senior RCMP officers assigned to APEC security, to
Superintendent Wayne May, one of his superiors:
The following decisions were made by Jean Carle [of
the Prime Minister's
Office] this morning during our briefing. . . .
Reading of the declaration
will be done at MoA [Museum of Anthropology] (either
outdoors weather
permitting or indoors in the meeting room). The area
outside the glass will
be cleaned up, plants brought in and water filled in
around the mound. For
lunch, golf carts will be used to transport the
leaders to NMH [Norman
MacKenzie House, the UBC president's residence]. The
existing path will
be used (bringing the carts up the road and then in
the driveway). Plants,
etc. will have to be brought in to provide cover also
to continue the look of
the path. Jean Carle does not want the demonstrators
close at all! which
will mean moving back our perimeter. Also, he likes
the idea of having 5-6
musical ride members at UBC and door openers in red
serge at the
VTCC [Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre], BC Place
and UBC.
We welcome your comments.
Copyright © 1998, The Globe and Mail Company
All rights reserved.
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