19 UBC students arrested at bonfire protest
Police make arrests after protestors block fire department
Nearly 20 people at the University of British Columbia face a series of charges including assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest after a protest escalated into a confrontation and arrests. The students are now asking for a public inquiry into the incident.
Police arrested 19 students rallying Friday in support of a peer who was blocking a fire hose being used to douse a protest bonfire. About 100 people with Students for a Democratic Society and Trek Park for People gathered outside UBC’s Student Union Building to demonstrate against the redevelopment of a nearby grassy knoll, a popular student hangout, for a bus loop.
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Steve Klein, of the Students for a Democratic Society, says police used excessive force, aggravated a peaceful situation and engaged in a process of misinformation with the media following an anti-development rally at the university on Friday. Klein says the students will be contacting the B.C. Civil Liberties Union and are considering a complaint to the province’s police complaint commissioner.
A release from the society said a woman was told she was violating a bylaw by blocking the hose. “(The woman) was grabbed by an RCMP officer and thrown to the ground, pinned, and handcuffed. Her face was literally shoved in a puddle of mud while an RCMP officer sat on top of her,” the release said, describing it as an “uncalled act of police aggression.” The society said another student was immediately arrested for questioning the police action.
Watch the video from the protest:
[youtube]hIzPNHbXTuE&hl[/youtube]
The release said the detentions led to students forming a human chain in protest. As a result, the release said, 26 students were arrested after 30 police cars from throughout Metro Vancouver arrived on the scene.
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“He said the commanding officer at the scene would not allow the people surrounding the car to negotiate with them” – Steve Klein, you do not with police officers, you cooperate. If you have started an illegal fire and then don’t cooperate when the fire department tries to put it out, you can’t cut a deal with the police saying… ‘well, on second thought, maybe you can put out the fire, but only if you release the people you already arrested.’ You cooperate, and let the police and the fire department get their job done.
“We were careful not to touch the police cruiser or anything else.”
- it doesn’t matter. You are still blocking the police cruiser from leaving the scene, which is still obstruction of justice. You can’t block a police cruiser from going somewhere for an hour and not expect the police to arrest you.
The police conducted their duties professionally in the face of hostile and belligerent protesters. There was no ‘police brutality.’ This reeks of spin and attention mongering almost as badly as the UofT protest a couple of weeks back. Knollies, stop trying to pawn everything off on “the Man.”
Personally, I’ve got little sympathy for those who’d screw with fire crews. No matter whether you think the fire is safe or not, no matter whether it’s in protest of something incontravertably heinous or not, do not get in the way of fire crews. They know more about safety and about fire behavior than you do. If they say put it out, put the damn thing out.
From this article, it sounds like the SDS doesn’t even have its facts straight for simple things like how many were arrested, so that makes me seriously question their interpretation of the rest of the events.
*correction to my above post – it should read “Steve Klein, you do not *negotiate* with police officers”… accidentally left out a critical word there
It is almost funny to read the comments from the protestors. They seem to be oblivious to how civil disobedience works. The point of these campaigns is the belief that there are some causes for which people are willing to give up their freedom. When one commits civil disobedience one is breaking the law and for that there are consequences. If you aren’t willing to face the consequences don’t conduct the civil disobedience.
Ladies and Gentlemen, mark this date on your calenders – I agree with ThinkOrThwim
(though I still think the name is lame)
‘Peaceful protest’ implies acknowledging and cooperating with the civil authorities. The moment you defy the police, fire department or other legitimate authority is the moment your protest stops being peaceful, and the civil disobedience begins.
Speaking of, I can’t but think of this picture…
(here’s hoping my dirty html works in the comment box)
It is well known at UBC that the Students for a Democratic Society is a front organization for the NDP.
Such a protest was orchestrated by the NDP to intimidate the students and faculty at UBC.
Jack leave the students at UBC alone …
That’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever read. The protest at the knoll was engineered by the NDP to scare the students and faculty at UBC?
I’ll bet Jack Layton’s been organizing the protests against the Olympic torch run to scare the bobsledders.
“For shame, for shame!”
Methinks the UofT protesters flew out to UBC for round 2.
Peter Butler, Im just going to assume that was sarcasm and that your not actually misinformed enough to think such a thing.
Speaking as a member of the UBC NDP club’s executive, I can say we did no such thing and in fact, numerous members of the executive have, outside of their role in the club, criticized the protesters.
[...] participation in the planning process sparked in the spring of 2008. During an illegal demonstration calling for inclusive participatory policy planning on campus, in April, 19 students were arrested. [...]