[asia-apec 958] Vancouver Riot Police Bloody Protesters

[Jaggi Singh]

[The following article is based on telephone interviews with protesters,
organizers, and eyewitnesses at yesterday's "Welcome Chretien"
demonstration in Vancouver. First-hand accounts were provided by Julie,
Aiyanas, Martha, William, John, Marion, Jon, Zoe, Darryl, Nora, Jamie and
Matt. Further information was used from corporate media reports on the web
-- the Vancouver Sun, Vancouver Province and the Globe and Mail -- as well
as CBC Radio.]

RIOT POLICE BLOODY PROTESTERS AT ANTI-CHRETIEN DEMO IN VANCOUVER

MORE THAN ONE YEAR AFTER APEC, PRIME MINISTER RETURNS TO VANCOUVER

9 ARRESTS MADE FOR "UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY", OTHERS INJURED AND HOSPITALIZED

by Jaggi Singh <jaggi at tao.ca>

for A-Infos and the Direct Action Media Network
<http://www.a-infos.ca> and <http://damn.tao.ca>
[posted Wednesday, December 9th, 1998]


Close to 2000 demonstrators (700, according to the Vancouver police)
gathered at the Hyatt Hotel in rainy downtown Vancouver yesterday evening
to protest outside a $400/plate fundraiser for the governing Liberal Party
of Canada. The focus of the demonstration was Prime Minister Jean
Chretien, who was making his first public visit to Vancouver since the
infamous Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leader's Summit last
November 1997.

The "Welcome Chretien" demonstration was organized and supported by wide
cross-section of Vancouver groups and individuals: unions, socialist
parties, student organizations, anti-poverty groups, youth organizations,
alternative media outlets and other coalitions and collectives. The
protest was spearheaded by "Democracy Street"
<http://democracy-street.tao.ca> which represents 27 protesters who are
pursuing a lawsuit against the government and police for their conduct at
last year's APEC Summit.

The large and animated mobilization yesterday evening was marred, however,
when riot police were deployed from inside the Hyatt. Armed with shields,
batons, rubber bullet guns and police dogs, they attempted to disperse
demonstrators from Burrard Street in front of the posh hotel.

The police made a concerted effort not to use pepper spray and repeat the
images of last November. Ironically, weeks ago Prime Minister Chretien
defended the use of pepper spray as "more civilized" than baseball bats.
Yesterday, batons were the chosen weapon of Vancouver's "civilized"  
police.

Many demonstrators were injured and bloodied as the riot police --
officially termed the "Crowd Control Unit" -- began beating their shields
in unison and attacked the crowd of protesters.

According to Marion, who attended the protest as a legal observer, "Riot
police swarmed out, switched places with the VPD [Vancouver Police
Department], and just started beating people."

In the words of William, who helped organize the protest and was filming
the demo, "[The riot police] were pushing [protesters] back with shields
and then started swinging clubs. People were getting absolutely clocked."

According to Martha, who had her camera broken by the police, "[The riot
police] just came forward and started swinging. I tried to step back, but
there was no where to go." In her words, "People cleared out after people
were injured."

Darryl, who received four blows to the shoulder, described the actions of
the police as "disgusting" since they were striking at demonstrators were
attempting to back up.

Many demonstrators were badly injured. According to media reports, at
least 4 people were hospitalized, but everyone was soon released and no
injuries deemed life threatening.

At the scene, the demonstration's medical team, which set up across the
street at a bus shelter, was treating dozens of people for injuries as a
result of baton blows. William observed at least two or three people who
were unconscious. In his words, there were "three or four people with
serious scalp wounds" and "six people [were] laying on the ground with
gaping head wounds."

Other demonstrators received bruises and cuts. One protester received a
black eye from an officer, and was also grabbed by his nostrils.

The brutality and provocations incensed demonstrators, who remained
outside the hotel for up to 45 minutes while surrounded by riot police.
Ironically, a second unit of riot police that made an appearance was led
by Staff-Sergeant Hugh Stewart of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP), infamous for his liberal use of pepper spray at APEC (He was
quickly dubbed Sergeant Pepper).

The demonstrators eventually left the front of the Hyatt and moved to the
police station at Main Street and Cordova where 9 arrested protesters were
being detained. From there, a smaller crowd moved to the Main Skytrain
station, where over a hundred entered without paying and proceeded to
occupy the station for some time.

Police intimidation and brutality started well before the arrival of the
riot police. During the demo, protesters who were blockading entrances had
their hair pulled, necks twisted and had bikes shoved against them by
police. According to one account, one person's nose was yanked by a VPD
officer. Another person had his banner grabbed away (for the record, it
read: "Human need, not corporate greed"). Apparently, these actions served
no other purpose than to try to provoke demonstrators.

Before the arrival of the riot squad, the atmosphere of the protest was,
by most accounts, festive and militant. The demonstration had managed to
block off most entrances to the posh hotel. Members of Food Not Bombs,
APEC ALERT <http://www.cs.ubc.ca/spider/fuller/apec_alert> and other
individuals also engaged in civil disobedience, willing to risk arrest to
ensure an effective blockade. Chants of "No suits, no suits" could be
heard at one site on Melville Street. The sound truck for the demo,
however, was not permitted to get near the hotel.

Food Not Bombs had a street serving, and Las Cacaphonistas, a street
protest band, played throughout. A giant Chretien puppet weaved in the
crowd, occasionally being peppered with mock spray. Two protesters, Nora
and Jamie, were offering up impromptu fashion commentaries through
megaphones. Observing the well-heeled attendees of the fundraiser, Jamie
yelled, "Take a good look at them, and take a good look at us, and let's
play "Guess my income!""

According to a VPD police spokesperson, the pretext for the use of riot
police, who could be observed through windows on the second floor of the
hotel prior to deployment, was a supposed "breach" of police barricades.

This "breach incident" occurred when some demonstrators attempted to enter
the hotel at the main entrance. Nine of them were eventually arrested. One
of the people who tried to enter the Hyatt was punched by a police
officer, bloodied, and received stitches on her face. Along with many
others, she is considering laying charges for assault.

It was after the arrests were made that the riot police were deployed, for
no ostensible purpose but to scare and intimidate demonstrators outside
the hotel.

While the arrests were happening, the Vancouver Sun reports that the 1300
guests inside the hotel were singing "O Canada", the national anthem of
the Canadian state.

The crowd inside was described by the Vancouver Province as "impeccably
coiffed." Some guests were quite upset at the blockade and demo. The
Province quotes one Vancouver businessman: "I certainly respect their
right to protest, but I think they should respect my right to get in to
hear the prime minister speak." He neglected to mention the $400 price tag
for his "right", not to mention the riot police defending it outside.

Pre-publicity for yesterday's demo included posters with Chretien's face
reading, "Wanted: for Crimes Against Democracy." The demonstration focused
its opposition to the economic policies of the Liberal government,
specifically the embracing of corporate-style globalization of which APEC
is just one manifestation. Many of the demonstrators were overtly
anti-capitalist, rejecting all the mainstream parties that dominate
political discourse in middle-class Canada.

The demo also focused on APEC. Chretien has come under fire recently in
the mainstream media and elsewhere as a result of documents implicating
him in the repression of dissent at the University of British Columbia
(UBC) during APEC. It is alleged that the heavy-handed police response at
UBC -- including indiscriminate pepper-spraying, nabbing of activists,
removal of signs and banners, and more -- was all undertaken to appease
former dictator General Suharto of Indonesia who was threatening not to
attend the conference for fear of embarrassment.

In all, 9 arrests have been confirmed from yesterday's demo: Ian, Tina,
Ivan, Mike, Cyrus, Jodi, Sid, Aiyanas and Anton. They are a mix of
anti-poverty activists, Food Not Bombs members, APEC ALERT-ers,
environmentalists and students from UBC and SFU. They were all charged
with "unlawful assembly" and released in the early morning without
conditions.

A judge elsewhere has already ruled the unlawful assembly provision of the
Criminal Code "constitutionally unoperational". This is a result of a
challenge by members of Montreal's Commando Bouffe, who expropriated food
from the posh Queen Elizabeth Hotel last December 3rd, 1997. The case is
now before the Quebec Supreme Court. Yesterday's arrested protesters have
yet to receive a court date for a charge that may not even legally exist.

[The above article will be updated as more information becomes available.]