Whose streets? Our streets!

                WHOSE STREETS? OUR STREETS! ...... REALLY?

I tried to get this out the other day but unexpected visitors defeated that attempt. Then this morning I see this http://canadalandshow.com/article/rcmp-officer-c-51-protester-you-could-be-branded-terrorist    which leads me right into what I wanted to address.

During the Stop C51 potest and march I attended Saturday in Vancouver I noticed that the police presence was higher. There were 6 motorcycle cops and 8 bicycle cops, 1 car! Standing back watching their actions I noticed they were containing the march fairly well.  Granted there were only about 200 - 250 people marching but they used the car at tail end to stop the stretching into a couple of blocks. Also when shutting down 4 corners of intersections I noticed the VPD clearing a lane for buses to get through if they were stopped. Another thing was as the direction of the march was being said through loud speakers giving motorcycles a chance to go ahead & shut down the streets redirecting traffic.

My issue with all that? The very purpose of the march. C 51!

Maybe I'm not comprehending what a protest is. I thought these protests and marches were acts of "civil disobedience".

For that reason alone IMO there should never be "permits" for a protest. All protests should have their OWN Traffic Controllers. If the cops want to be there to back them up that is entirely up to them. Now I'm not saying we should be aggressive or abusive to or with the VPD. I am saying when protesting a police state do you really want the police directing traffick? I think not!

I also have an issue with the PD re directing traffic. Letting the police go ahead and redirecting is contrary to what protests are supposed to do. Gain attention to the issue. So all those people driving around downtown Saturday shopping have NO IDEA why they were being redirected. All they know was that traffic was slow due to Police.  It could have been for a movie shoot of which there are many out here. It could have been for crane intallation/removal. It could have been for many things having nothing to do with "citizens on the streets protesting overly broad government surveillance.

If C 51 was law at the moment the protesters at Saturdays march were controlled in a fashion that would have had all of them rounded up and locked up within an hour if not less. Partly due to policing practice used, partly due to lack of "boots on  the ground". Then seeing that video this morning of an RCMP officer stating the FACT that if passed C 51 would make protests like Saturdays Stop C51 protest could result in the protesters being arrested.

Now I know folks will complain that creating traffic tie ups only anger the drivers and to that I say "SO WHAT?". Let them get angry, we are angry about these issues we are protesting too or we would not be out there doing so! Maybe if they get angry too they will park there cars, stop their shopping and protest with us. Maybe they will actually hear WHAT the issue at the time is and think about it. A protest that ties up traffic for 45 minutes and makes 100 drivers go home and bring up the issue at hand for that protest is a good thing. be it because they are POed at the protesters or not. The protest brings the issue to the front and if we are really lucky it makes people do some research into what caused them the discomfort sitting in traffic they experienced that day.

One of what I thought the more productive Stop C51 marches I've been on had a die in and or circle dance at 40% of the  intersections during the march. All the protesters understood to block all 4 directions. Nothing got through except emergency vehicules for the 5 - 10 minutes the intersection was held. The buses were pulling U Turns at police direction, then cars as the police saw fit. At times during that march while the police were trying to stay ahead of the march a couple of turns were made which created streets full of cars being marched through by protesters. All the occupants of those vehicules KNEW there was a protest and WHAT it was about. It might look nasty. It might be dangerous (you never know who might have a fit of road rage and lose it) BUT for the attention the issue gets it is worth it I think.

When chanting "Whose streets? OUR streets" while being directed by police just didn't ring TRUE to me.

At no time during "civil disobedience" protests should the Police Department be allowed to be in charge of directing the march!

Opinion8ted