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Free Speech Zone Vancouver. Move Along, Citizen.
As Sean mentioned in his last Morning BRew:
2010 Olympic security plans include 'free speech areas'. Best comment: The free speech zone is called Canada.
This is absolutely ridiculous. From the article:
The head of security for the 2010 Games, RCMP assistant commissioner Bud Mercer told Vancouver city council on Tuesday, however, that protesters will not be required to limit their activities to the areas.
"You're free to use them, if you like, but anywhere you participate in lawful protest is legal and lawful in Canada. It doesn't have to be in a free speech area," said Mercer.
If so, then what's the point?
As far as I'm concerned, these 'free speech zones', which are popping up at events around the world are simply a way to get people used to the notion that it's not OK for you to speak your mind wherever you want. The contradiction being two-fold: that, like the comment posted above, it is your right to free speech - anywhere in Canada, at least. And the minute you have a 'free speech zone', you are stating - implicitly or not - that free speech outside of these areas is not a right, accessible to everyone.
As Mercer noted, it's still lawful to protest anywhere you like. And, as far as I know, protesters aren't really keen on being told where they should do things. If this is the case, is anyone going to go into these 'free speech zones'? And by doing so, isn't it more or less supporting a tyrannical system?
In my (humble) opinion, the entire point of speaking your mind is to be heard. Presumably, in the 'free speech zone', no one will be listening. If you're going to protest, presumably you want to do something which gets attention, and/or slows down/stops operations at the Olympics. Have we forgotten the past struggles that have taken place in our own backyard? Why are we putting up with this?
Whether you support the Olympics or not, I urge all readers to post comments here, and elsewhere, to call in to radio shows, and, in general, voice your concern over this complete debasement of our so-called freedoms. Once we begin passively complying with even the concept of a 'free speech zone', we begin to lose the one we already have: Canada.
(Photo by carrett ben raver in the BR Flickr Pool)
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Mercer was on CBC Radio the other day. He said something like, "these zones are set up for people's safety, so they don't get hit by buses." There's the catch: its for our safety. They're going to use the 'safety' argument to force people into these zones and/or just to shut them up!
they'll try all of the tactics they think the can get away with. That's why, unfortunately, the onus will be on those opposed to the games/games security to be creative in the way they protest. The cops would love a violent demo right off the bat so that they can crack down on any/all dissent.
Security and freedom... oil and water
I guarantee if you protest outside said zones, you will be arrested/moved and when the games are over everybody in charge of security will resign to avoid lawsuits and resurface somewhere else, probably doing private security for an IOC billionaire. This is how it's done in Vancouver, abuse rights then just resign to avoid any fallout.
where can i get some of those stickers?