MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
June 18, 2010

CoC to Police Union "Don't criticize the messenger"
Toronto Police Association should protect its members by demanding that no agent provocateurs
be used at G8 and G20 Summits

TORONTO - The Toronto Police Association should support public calls demanding official assurances that there will be no use of agent provocateurs as part of the security operation at the upcoming G8 and G20 summits, says the Council of Canadians in response to the association’s demand for the resignation of Ontario Federation of Labour president Sid Ryan.

Despite multiple requests to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and all levels of police security at the summits, the Council of Canadians has still not had a response confirming that there will be no use of undercover officers to commit or incite others to commit criminal acts during protests at the upcoming summits. The Council is concerned that agent provocateurs may once again be used by security forces, as they have at previous summits.

“There is irrefutable evidence that police impersonated demonstrators at the last international summit hosted by Prime Minister Harper in Montebello, Quebec in August 2007,” said Mark Calzavara, Ontario-Quebec organizer for the Council of Canadians.

“Video evidence shows three officers dressed in black with masks over their faces and large rocks in their hands. It also shows one of them striking a uniformed riot officer in the head. Whether they were ordered to incite a riot to discredit protestors or whether they did it to give security forces an excuse to clear away the peaceful demonstration, their actions discredited law enforcement in Canada.”

Calzavara adds, “The law regarding the legality of officers committing criminal acts or inciting others to do so leaves far too much room for interpretation and does not protect the civil rights of protestors.”

“The police union is clearly offended by the suggestion that police officers would incite violence to discredit protestors. Instead of criticizing the messenger, they should support the Council of Canadians’ request that the ISU and the Prime Minister forbid the use of agent provocateurs,” Calzavara states. “At the very least, they can instruct their members not to follow orders that undermine civil rights and put both police and protestors in physical danger.”

CBC story of  the Quebec Provincial Police admitting to having undercover agents posing as violent protestors:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/08/23/police-montebello.html

HD Video of the QPP undercover officers posing as violent protestors and attacking uniformed police at Montebello:
http://vimeo.com/12465761 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce5GZQbb1pQ.

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For more information:

Mark Calzavara,  416-319-6524
Scott Harris,  780-233-2528