BUSTED! POLICE REMOVE ANTI-BILL C36 PROTESTERS FROM JUSTICE MINISTER'S OFFICE IN EDMONTON
Arrest Protest and sit-in solidarity calls should be made to Anne McClellan The constituency phone number for is 780-495-3122 FAX NUMBER - (780) 495-2598 Those wishing to reach her office in Ottawa can phone: (613) 992-4524 Sit In Communication phone: (780) 945-9116 or email solidarity messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Updates from Occupiers are at:http://alberta.indymedia.org/ Bill C-36 is before the Canadian Senate. Save Canadian democracy and the rights of assembly and dissent: email the senators with a strongly worded letter online site: http://www.canadianliberty.bc.ca/ Edmonton Anti-War Actions: www.wage-peace.org 13 Edmonton citizens arrested at Justice Minister's Office. Monday Dec. 10th 8:30pm This evening 13 Edmonton citizens have been reportedly arrested in association with the 4day occupation of Canadian Justice Minister Anne McClellan's office. Those not arrested are headed down to the downtown Edmonton police station to attend the bail hearing. More information and audio clips from the arrests will be posted on http://alberta.indymedia.org/ later tonight. The occupation of Anne McLellan's office was concluded tonight when a huge police contingent entered the premises and took the persons remaining there. A crowd of perhaps a hundred people had gathered at the office for the police's 4:30 deadline. Consensus determined that people would not abandon the premises, and that decision was conveyed to the police. Present at the rally to support the protestors were the Alberta/NWT Regional Representative of the Canadian Labour Congress, a vice president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, members of CUPE, CEP, CUPW, Industrial Workers of the World, The Council of Canadians, local antiwar and student movement activists, NPI and NDP members and members of the Socialist Caucus NDP. The police (two vans, seven cars, and 20 officers) were on site for perhaps two hours before they moved in at which point about ten or twelve people were arressted for tresspass. A meeting at the nearby Mr. Sub explored continuation of the protest, and determined that a jailhouse-solidarity initiative will be planned tomorrow at 3:00 P.M. in the cafeteria of Canada Place. Latest update After routine procedures all thirteen arrestees were released at approximately 2:15 am December 11th simply being charged with the offence of Trespass under the Alberta Petty Trespass Act. The protesters are to be congratulated on the peaceful manner in which they conducted themselves. They have succeedded in getting their point across on all three TV channels as well as radio. Appearances are scheduled for Provincial Court in Edmonton on January 8th 2002 POLICE FORCE ANTI-TERRORISM LAW PROTESTERS OUT POSTED AT 11:57 PM EST Monday, December 10 The Globe and Mail/Canadian Press http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/RTGAMArticleHTMLTemplate/C/20011210/wfor ced?hub=homeBN&tf=tgam%252Frealtime%252Ffullstory.html&cf=tgam/realtime/conf ig-neutral&vg=BigAdVariableGenerator&slug=wforced&date=20011210&archive=RTGA M&site=Front&ad_page_name=breakingnews PHOTO: A protester is held by police officers after police moved in on a group of people who had been occupying a portion of Federal Justice Minister Anne McLellan's constituency office in Edmonton on Monday. Photo: Ed Parsons/CP Edmonton — Demonstrators who had been occupying the constituency office of federal Justice Minister Anne McLellan were forcibly removed from the building Monday night. About 50 protesters and several labour union members chanted slogans as police charged them with trespassing and loaded them into three vans. "We have a democratic right to assemble guaranteed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms," yelled out protester Mike Hudema, one of those who had been occupying the office since Friday in protest of the federal government's anti-terrorism legislation. "We have assembled here to assert our democratic right because of the undemocratic process that our government has gone through in terms of ramming this legislation through." There was a minor scuffle between a police officer and a representative from the Canadian Labour Congress when he shouted at police for being too rough with a female protester. The protester would not walk and was yelling "they're hurting me" as she was dragged toward the police van and then handcuffed. Two other people, a man and a woman had to be carried to a van. The woman told officers she was disabled, so the officers sat her on the step of the police van, handcuffed her and then lifted her into the vehicle. Police spokesman Dean Parthenis said the protesters had been given every opportunity to have their say and had even been offered office space elsewhere in the building to prepare for a meeting with Ms. McLellan on Dec. 17. "It's gotten to the point where staff here feel it's gotten unsafe," Mr. Parthenis said. "We're not trying to get in the middle of what the protesters want to accomplish but they wanted a date to meet with the minister and that has been set." Fiona Cavanagh, one of the protest's leaders, had said earlier the group wants more public debate over fears the new anti-terrorism measures will curtail civil liberties and the right to protest. "I'm a concerned person who is standing up for what they believe in," she said Friday. "I hope people continue to voice their concerns and stop these bills. Call for public forums and call for the community to be talking about this. This is not going to go away and we must stand up for what we believe in." As the group prepared for the arrival of police earlier in the day, protesters were given instructions on how to respond and told to write the names of their lawyers on their arms. On the weekend the protesters staged a mock eviction by moving two tropical plants, decorations and some furniture from the office foyer to the sidewalk outside. They also set up a rented hot tub on the snow-covered lawn outside the minister's office. POLICE REMOVE PROTESTERS FROM JUSTICE MINISTER'S OFFICE Edmonton Journal/Canadian Press http://www.canada.com/edmonton/story.asp?id={2EDA02D8-3B69-4CD5-AF03-51CF326 E175B} Monday, December 10, 2001 EDMONTON (CP) -- Demonstrators who had been occupying the constituency office of Federal Justice Minister Anne McLellan were removed from the building Monday night. About 50 protesters and several labour union members chanted slogans as police loaded them into vans. The demonstrators had been occupying the office since Friday in protest of the federal government's anti-terrorism legislation. On the weekend, the protesters staged a mock eviction by moving two tropical plants, decorations and some furniture from the office foyer to the sidewalk outside. They also set up a rented hot tub on the snow-covered lawn outside the minister's office. Throughout the incident, the protesters had been locked out of McLellan's main office. Spokeswoman Fiona Cavanagh had said the group wants more public debate over fears the new anti-terrorism measures will curtail civil liberties and the right to protest. © Copyright2001 Canadian Press