[mobglob-discuss] Fwd: [Infoshop News] Those planning civil disobedience to be barred from G-8

[David]

"Tools of civil disobedience, said Johnston, include gas masks, pepper
spray and gasoline bombs, as well as seemingly harmless items such as
handcuffs, spray paint and ski masks."

Interesting... "gasoline bombs" are "tools of civil disobedience"? Seems
there's a conflict in definitions here.

David


On Mon, 10 Jun 2002, Graeme Bacque wrote:

> ------------forwarded message------------
> From: "Tom Wheeler" <twbounds at pop.mail.rcn.net>
> To: "Infoshop" <infoshop-news at infoshop.org>
> Subject: [Infoshop News] Those planning civil disobedience to be barred
> from G-8
> Date: Mon, 10 Jun 2002 21:52:45 -0400
>
>
> http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020610/ap_wo_en_po/canad
> a_g8_border_1
>
> Those planning civil disobedience to be barred from G-8
>
> CALGARY, Alberta - Alberta's southern border will be shut down to activists
> who hope to disrupt this month's summit of world leaders, a G-8 security
> spokesman said.
>
> The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canada Customs are planning a massive
> security crackdown at the Alberta-United States border in the days leading
> up to the June 26-27 meeting of leaders from the world's top eight
> industrial countries at Kananaskis, said RCMP Cpl. Jamie Johnston.
>
> Anyone caught trying to cross with "tools of civil disobedience" will be
> interrogated and refused entry into the province, he said.
>
> "When we have eight of the world's most powerful economies coming together
> at one time and place, it's our duty to provide protection," Johnston said.
>
> Tools of civil disobedience, said Johnston, include gas masks, pepper spray
> and gasoline bombs, as well as seemingly harmless items such as handcuffs,
> spray paint and ski masks.
>
> Handcuffs have been used at previous summits to form human chains to block
> major roadways, while the discovery of gas masks "would be a clear
> indication (the protesters) were here for some other purpose than the
> scenery."
>
> Johnston acknowledged that many of the items are not illegal to possess.
> That's why customs officials will interrogate suspicious travelers first to
> determine whether the items have an "illegal intent."
>
> Activists call the crackdown an attack on civil liberties.
>
> Scott Crichton of the American Civil Liberties Union ( news - web sites) in
> Missoula, Montana, said he's been contacted by several Montana activists who
> have been refused entry into Canada in recent weeks.
>
> "The absurdity of it all is we're not talking about people with dynamite in
> their shoes. Their dynamite is their ideas," Crichton said.
>
> "It's a shame because Canada is a model to us in the States, especially in
> terms of diversity and tolerance. I always thought of Canada as what we
> ought to be, so it's a little disheartening hearing that Canadian officials
> are so closed about this."
>
> Moj Gone, a spokeswoman for the RUCKUS Society, a protest organizing group
> based in Oakland, California, said crossing the border has become difficult
> for activists.
>
> "Whether we're going to these (summit) meetings or whether we're just
> meeting friends, authorities are cracking down on the free movement of
> people at the border," Gone said.
>
> Security has been tightened at economic, summit and other high-profile
> meetings in recent years following a rise in global activism that exploded
> at the 1999 World Trade Organization ( news - web sites) meeting in Seattle.
> A few dozen anarchists and vandals at that meeting caused millions of
> dollars in damage to the city's downtown core, and similar unrest has
> accompanied meetings in Washington, D.C., Quebec City and in Europe.
>
> Prime Minister Jean Chretien chose Kananaskis, in rugged country about 100
> kilometers (60 miles) west of Calgary, in an effort to prevent a repeat of
> violent protests that caused chaos at last year's G-8 in Genoa, Italy.
>
> Canada Customs spokesman Gordon Luchia said every vehicle crossing the
> border in the days leading up to the summit will be inspected.
>
> Additional customs staff will be on duty, there will be drug- and
> bomb-sniffing dogs on call 24 hours a day, and RCMP will increase patrols
> between crossing points.
>
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