FYI- COOPRADIO.ORG: May 12, 2008: SDS at UBC-A conversation with Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) on police brutality by the RCMP at the University of British Columbia (UBC).
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(Mon, 12 May 2008 17:36:32 -0500 (CDT)) --- COOPRADIO.ORG: May 12, 2008: SDS at UBC<>WHEN:
Monday May 12, 2008 12- 1 PM PDT
WHERE: Monday Brownbagger. Vancouver Coop Radio CFRO 102.7 FM,
www.coopradio.org
*
Listen to Audio Archive Now:
*
*WHAT: A conversation with Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) on police
brutality by the RCMP at the University of British Columbia (UBC).*
Website: *<> (SDS website
hacked and taken down - this is Google archive)
Host: Alfred Lambremont Webre, JD, MEd
*April 5th, 2008- Press Release: Musical Concert Against Commercial
Development at UBC Ends in Mass Arrests; Students Demand Public Inquiry*
*UBC* students are calling for a public inquiry into the behaviour of the
RCMP and *UBC* Campus Security as police made mass arrests at a musical
concert against commercial development at *UBC*. The event, KnollAid 2.0,
was meant to be an awareness-raising musical concert against the planned
construction of a poorly planned underground bus loop and the
commercialization of the centre of campus. Students have been outraged at
the lack of meaningful consultation and undemocratic actions of the
administration in developing this space. The focus of the musical concert
was the grassy knoll, a centre of social life at *UBC* that is slated for
destruction by the *UBC* administration.
As the event wound down, Campus Security, the RCMP, and the Fire Department
arrived and successfully put out a bonfire that had been created by some of
the concertgoers. In the process, Campus Security and the RCMP arrested two
individuals for allegedly interfering with the firefighters. Students
peacefully protested what they saw as the wrongful arrest of one of the
individuals by locking arms with her and sitting down. They then convinced
the police officer to remove her handcuffs and she was released. Immediately
after, they surrounded the police cruiser and attempted to convince the
police officer to release the other student who was being detained.
Over the course of the next two hours, well after the original situation
with the bonfire was under control, over 18 police vehicles and 30 police
officers descended on *UBC* campus. They included members of the Vancouver
Police Department, Richmond RCMP, and Transit Police. These reinforcements
verbally threatened to use police dogs and tasers to disperse the
protestors. Around midnight, they descended upon the protestors peacefully
protesting infront of the police cruiser. They also indiscriminately
arrested many bystanders, including an individual who stumbled upon the
scene while biking home. They trained tasers on students who were already
being forced into the ground by multiple police officers. One individual was
handcuffed and detained immediately after giving an interview with CBC news.
Observers were shocked at the confrontational attitude and brutal tactics of
the police.
Since then, the RCMP has attempted to cover up their behaviour by
distorting the timeline of events and outright lying. RCMP spokespeople are
claiming that police backup was called because they were unable to put out
the bonfire. In fact, the additional RCMP detachments were called well after
the original situation was under control. They are claiming only one
individual was arrested while they were putting out the bonfire. In fact,
two individuals were arrested but one was released. They are claiming that
the situation was dangerous until the additional officers came and made the
mass arrests. In fact, the RCMP officers on the scene stood around and
exchanged friendly chatter with students while they waited for two hours for
reinforcements. They are claiming that they issued multiple verbal warnings.
In fact, not a single warning was issued in the two hours that the RCMP
waited for reinforcements, and immediately before the arrests they asked a
student to issue a single verbal warning before issuing a single verbal
warning themselves. Only a public inquiry can establish why the RCMP is
distorting the events of April 4th in this manner.
Students are also demanding that the *UBC* administration initiate an
internal inquiry into the behaviour of Campus Security. At the concert, many
witnessed them using force while assisting in the arrest of the two
students. When witnesses asked them about it afterwards, the Campus Security
officers denied any involvement. Campus Security has a long history of
harassing and intimidating students peacefully protesting the
commercialization of campus.
For contact information, please email *sds*.*ubc*@gmail.com
UBC STUDENTS DEMAND PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO MASS ARRESTS AT PEACEFUL
PROTEST<>
UBC students call for public inquiry to investigate RCMP response
By Charlie Smith
Publish Date: April 6, 2008
*Update: For more video footage of the events discussed in this story, see
user's comments posted in response to, Students allege RCMP brutality
at UBC<>
.*
A UBC Alma Mater Society executive has joined others in criticizing the
behaviour of RCMP officers in shutting down a protest near the UBC bus loop
late Friday night. In the past, some UBC higher-ups have been known to refer
to the UBC bus loop as "Little Budapest", which is a snide attack on the
appearance of all those buses at the centre of the campus. Students,
however, object to an underground bus loop, which could end up resembling
something like Lonsdale Quay. Here's the latest news release, which calls
for a public inquiry:
TO ALL NEWS EDITORS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UBC STUDENTS DEMAND PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO MASS ARRESTS AT PEACEFUL PROTEST
VANCOUVER, April 5th, 2008- Outraged UBC students are calling for a public
inquiry into the behaviour of the RCMP and UBC Campus Security that resulted
in mass arrests at a musical concert against commercial development at UBC.
According to AMS Students Society of UBC VP-Admin *Tristan Markle* "The
event, KnollAid 2.0, was an awareness-raising musical concert against the
planned construction of an underground bus loop and the commercialization of
the centre of campus. Since the outset, students have been outraged at the
lack of meaningful consultation and undemocratic actions of the
administration in this development. The focus of this concert was the grassy
knoll- a centre of social life at UBC- that is slated for destruction by the
UBC administration."
According to UBC Students for Democratic Society member and eye witness to
the arrests *Steven Klein* "As the event wound down, Campus Security, the
RCMP, and Fire Department arrived and successfully put out a bonfire that
had been created by some participants. Campus Security and the RCMP arrested
two individuals for allegedly interfering with the firefighters.
Students peacefully protested what they believed to be wrongful arrests
and convinced the police to release one student, although the second
student remained detained."
"Over the course of the next two hours, well after the original situation
with the bonfire was under control, over 18 police vehicles and 30 police
officers- including from VPD, Richmond RCMP, and Transit Police- arrived.
These reinforcements verbally threatened to use police dogs and tasers on
the peaceful protestors. They also indiscriminately arrested many
bystanders, including an individual who stumbled upon the scene while biking
home. One individual was handcuffed and detained immediately after giving an
interview with CBC news. All of us observers were shocked at the
confrontational attitude and brutal tactics of the police," further states
Klein.
According to UBC student Margart Orlowski "We are deeply disturbed that the
RCMP is distorting the timeline of events and lying in order to cover up
their behaviour. RCMP spokespeople are falsely claiming that police backup
was called because they were unable to put out the bonfire, that the
situation was dangerous and violent, and that the RCMP issued multiple
verbal warnings. In fact, the additional RCMP detachments were called well
after the bonfire was under control and they only issued one verbal warning
before indiscriminately arresting students, including many uninvolved
bystanders.
Only a public inquiry can establish why the RCMP is distorting these events.
We are also demanding that the UBC administration initiate an internal
inquiry into the behaviour of Campus Security, who were witnessed using
force while assisting in the arrest of at least two
students."
*Source URL:*
VIDEOS:
Detailed Chronology:
Expanded/Condensed Version:
Prior to arrests:
The arrests:
ARTICLES FROM The Ubyssey CAMPUS NEWSPAPER CONCERNING "POLICE CRACK-DOWN"
PRIOR TO ARRESTS:
ARTICLES ABOUT ARRESTS:
a professor
UBC student protesters face charges *Last Updated: Saturday, April 5, 2008
Recommend102<>
CBC
News <>
Nineteen people are facing charges including assaulting a police officer and
resisting arrest following a demonstration at the University of British
Columbia in Vancouver late Friday.
A large crowd of UBC students had gathered outside the Student Union
Building to demonstrate against the redevelopment of a grassy knoll at the
location. A bonfire was lit as the protest neared its end.
[image: Vancouver police and RCMP officers arrested several students when
they staged an impromptu rally at UBC.]*Vancouver police and RCMP officers
arrested several students when they staged an impromptu rally at UBC.*
*(CBC) *
Police said they were called by campus security and arrested 19 people.
RCMP Const. Annie Linteau said the group swarmed a police car and became
combative when officials tried to put out the fire.
Protest organizer Bahram Norouzi told CBC News that a student stood in front
of the hose to block the water and was then taken away.
[image: Some students were dragged away by police officers at the UBC
demonstration Friday night.]*Some students were dragged away by police
officers at the UBC demonstration Friday night. *
*(CBC) *
Other students became angry and thought it was an unfair arrest, he said, so
they proceeded to march around the police cruiser in which the student had
been detained.
More officers, including the RCMP's UBC detachment and Vancouver police,
arrived and more students were arrested, Norouzi said.
Some students were dragged on the ground after being handcuffed.
Norouzi said the students were peaceful and were only "singing and dancing
around the [police] car."
The police "made this situation so intense for us and they brought the
violence themselves," he said.
Students have been fighting for the last six months to keep the grassy knoll
outside the Student Union Building, Norouzi added.
*With files from the Canadian Press
*
--
_________________________________
Alfred Lambremont Webre, JD, MEd
ICIS-Institute for Cooperation in Space
3339 West 41 Avenue
Vancouver, B.C. V6N3E5 CANADA
TEL: 604-733-8134
FAX: 604-733-8135
Email: alw@peaceinspace.com
ICIS:
CAMPAIGN:
NUCLEAR FREE ZONE:
9/11 War Crimes Tribunal:
CAMPAIGN (peace@peaceinspace.org).
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