February 24, 2002

Citizens' Panel on Policing and the Community
Box 722,
410 Bank Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 1Y8

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to express my concern over the actions of the police during the November 16 to 1 8th, 2001 protest in Ottawa. I took part in the Saturday protest and observed a number of things, which caused me great concern. I have taken part in many protests in Canada concerning different issues over the years (I'm now 46 years old) and this was the first time I ever felt afraid to voice my opinion in Canada. It is the first time I felt that my rights as a citizen in a democratic country were being threatened. The reasons for this are as follows:

1) As the protest progressed towards the Rideau Centre the police blocked off the bridge we were supposed to cross. This caused panic in the crowd and seemed to be a deliberate maneuver to manipulate the protesters. It did not succeed due to the calm thinking of most of the protesters. But this tactic, which appeared to be used to destabilize the crowd, caused me to think that we might be being led into a trap whereby the police would surround us and attack us.

2) All the police I saw, and there were many, were dressed in riot gear and armed with riot batons and/or guns. Many of the police had their faces covered with only their eyes showing. This created an impression that they were a para-military force, akin to those known to exist in repressive Latin American regimes. The dress, the weapons, and the hidden faces of the police deepened my sense of fear. It also caused me great sadness to think that Canadian political discourse has descended to this level of suppression. It appeared to me that citizens wanting to express their political views were being intimidated and controlled by a potentially violent ‘para-military' force.

3) The presence of the police dogs also contributed to the level of fear that I felt. This was the first time I had ever seen the use of dogs in a peaceful protest.

4) The use of barricades and police vans contributed to a scene of an armed camp around the Congress Centre where the dignitaries were meeting.

All of the above led to me to experience a great deal of fear and anxiety as I peacefully walked in the protest. I personally believe that protesters must be peaceful and non-violent. Indeed, the majority of protesters were not intent upon violence, but rather were there to express their political concerns about the important issues that were not being address satisfactorily at the meeting of the G-20.

In my view, police are required to protect persons and property at all times. However, on this occasion the police were present in such large numbers that they almost constituted a para-military force for the purpose of maintaining state control and upholding the politicalleconomic ideology of the state.

While I recognize that there were some incidences of violence during the protests I believe that the police acted disproportionately to the violence that was present. Indeed, the fact that the protest did not turn violent and was mostly peaceful is a testimony to the peaceful intentions and the resolve of the protesters, many of who were young but many of who were older.

In conclusion, as a participant in the protest, I can honestly state that this was not one of Canada's finest hours. As a Canadian citizen and a resident of Ottawa, I am ashamed of the police action during this protest and of those political leaders (federal, provincial, and municipal) who commended their conduct. My hope is that this Citizens' Panel will be a vehicle for voicing the legitimate concerns of those who, like myself, sought only to express opposition to the closed agenda of the meeting of the G 20.

I thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Michael Dallaire, Ed.D.