RCMP tap local activists
posted by Jason Youmans
02/11/2009 8:00 AM
It appears the RCMP dragnet to quash 2010 Olympic opposition before it
begins has washed up on the shores of Vancouver Island.
One local business owner says he was approached two weeks ago at the
end of his work day by a man who identified himself as RCMP agent Mike
Smook and who then asked to step inside for a word.
Smook told Dark Horse Books owner Robert Garfat that he was working on
behalf of the RCMP General Investigation Services, although it has
since been confirmed Smook operates out of the RCMP's Integrated
Security Unit, which is responsible for overseeing Vancouver
Olympic-related security.
"Long story short, he asked us if we had heard anything within the
activist community regarding opposition to the Olympics," says Garfat.
"That if we knew of any kind of action that's going to disrupt
anything or anything in opposition that was along the lines of direct
action, if we would let him know."
Garfat was initially hesitant to speak out about the visit, but
decided the public good of making known the RCMP's attempts to
infiltrate the activist community outweighed how it might reflect on
him.
"My feeling is that we should say something because if they're going
out into the community trying to intimidate people and to try and
co-opt people into becoming informants, that's like Big Brother."
Garfat also fears the chill effect that suspicion fomented by the RCMP
could have on peaceful protest at the 2010 games.
"It also makes people afraid to talk about their opposition," he says.
"Because if they hear that these people are out in the community
making observations on behalf of the RCMP, then they're less likely to
say things in opposition and raise their voices in opposition and that
concerns me as well."
Another local activist, who requested anonymity says the police have
visited his home and asked to speak to all the residents, as well as
photographed people as they came and left the building.
"None of those questioned had any arrests or previous charges," he
says. "The cops friggin' bothered us for no good reason other than
owning literature that is in opposition to the Olympics."
Not surprisingly, a message left by Monday on the pager number given
out by Smook went unreturned by press time.
The joy of dissent
While we're on the subject of raising one's voice in peaceful
opposition to incursions on civil liberties, this weekend marks the
first anniversary since more than 50 RCMP officers descended on the
site of the Spencer Road Interchange to remove a handful of peaceful
protesters from platforms in trees.
In celebration of that event, members of the Forest Action Network and
Vancouver Island Public Interest Research Group will host Speaking
Truth to Power: Media Activism and 2010 on February 15, featuring
presentations and discussions with Vancouver's Chris Shaw who authored
Five Ring Circus: Myths and Realities of the Olympic Games and
American indie-media darling, filmmaker Franklin Lopez.
Organizer Zoe Blunt says increased police surveillance and action
against Olympic opponents sets a bad precedent for the days ahead.
"The police are not gathering this information to hand out
commendations for being such great social-justice activists and good
citizens," says Blunt. "They are gathering information that will
potentially put people in jail—preemptively—to prevent them from
getting a message to the world about exactly how the social conditions
are here: Why are so many people homeless? Why are so many people in
poverty? Why is there a lack of decent housing across B.C. on the
reserves? Why are we still destroying old-growth forests for sports
events? These are the questions we want to get out to the world and we
believe the police are trying to stop this from happening."
Speaking Truth to Power will take place in room A110 of UVic's Social
Science and Math building on Sunday, February 15 starting at 7 p.m.
