Police prepared for Day 1 demonstrations
The Globe and Mail
By Robert Matas, The Globe and Mail Posted Friday, February 5, 2010
4:52 PM ET
 
 
Police expect a crowd of up to 1,500 demonstrators on the streets of
Vancouver on the opening day of the Winter Olympics, the city's
deputy chief Steve Sweeney says.
 
Assistant RCMP commissioner Bud Mercer, who is now receiving daily
briefing on threat assessments, told reporters Friday the integrated
security forces have already identified at least one group of
demonstrators from Eastern Canada who have arrived in Vancouver
looking to participate in demonstrations on Feb. 12th and 13th. They
have not yet picked up any intelligence on groups from U.S. or
Europe, he said.
 
Both officers were confident that police could respond to whatever
happens during the demonstration. Police could handle a crowd that
included both protesters with a cause in search of a media spotlight
and demonstrators determine to disrupt Olympic events, deputy chief
Sweeney said.
 
Police deal with around 175 demonstrations every year in Vancouver.
"We're used to dealing with that very mixture," deputy chief Sweeney
said. "That is a day-in-the-life for us."
 
Their response is predicated on the actions of the demonstrators, he
added. "We think the overwhelming majority who are peaceful will
likely rule the day. We are ready to respond [if the demonstrations
are not peaceful], but do we need to? We do not see it as likely to
occur," deputy chief Sweeney said.
 
With 10,000 members of the media from around the world, the Winter
Olympics is expected to be a staging ground for groups looking for
international exposure. So far, at least 13 anti-Olympic protesters
were arrested during the 106 day, cross-Canada torch-relay.
 
In the largest protest on the west coast in recent memory, thousands
of people were in the streets and more than 400 people were arrested
in Seattle in 1999 during a meeting of the World Trade Organization.
Protests outside Olympic venues normally attract a significantly
smaller crowd.
 
Harsha Walia, a spokesperson for the Olympic Resistance Network, an
umbrella group that has co-ordinated anti-Olympic protests over the
past three years, said she was aware of demonstrators coming from
Victoria, the interior of B.C., Eastern Canada and the U.S. But she
could not estimate how many people will show up. "I have no idea.
Every day we are hearing from people who have said they have never
been to a protest before, but they are going to be protesting the
Olympics," she said. But the police probably have a better idea than
she does about the anticipated crowd, she added.
 
Earlier, Deputy chief Sweeney told reporters Vancouver police will
have "a significant uniformed presence" throughout the Olympics in
the downtown and north areas of the city, including foot beats,
bicycles, motorcycles and horses.
 
Vancouver police are responsible for policing areas outside the
official Olympic venues but will be in charge of the investigation
into any criminal act anywhere in the city, including within the
Olympic venues. The city will have 370 additional Vancouver police
officers during the Olympics and another 127 assigned to
traffic-related duties, he said. 

Robert Matas, The Globe and Mail