Local, national and international groups are planning “criminal protests” during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, says the Games’ top cop.

And RCMP assistant commissioner Bud Mercer, head of the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit, raised the spectre Tuesday of the violent clashes that rocked World Trade Organization meetings in Seattle and Quebec City.

“I can assure council as I stand before you here today, that locally, provincially, nationally and internationally, there are groups that are considering or planning to engage in criminal protests during the 2010 Games,” Mercer told Vancouver city council.

Approximately 100 anti-Olympic protesters shut down the Canadian Pacific Spirit Train celebration at the Port Moody West Coast Express train station on Sept. 21, 2008.

Photograph by: Jason Payne file, The Province

“North America and Canada is not a stranger to criminal protests during major events — the 1999 Seattle WTO, 2001 in Quebec City or the Stanley Cup riot. There are things that will happen during a major event that we have a responsibility to plan and prepare for.”

Later Mercer said his definition of “criminal protests” included “violent protests, mass people throwing Molotov cocktails, breaking fences, permanently blocking highways, refusing to leave, damaging property, assaults, throwing things, injuring people. The list goes on.” Mercer told council 2010 security plans include:

- More than 900 cameras to guard the perimeters of Olympic venues.

- “Free speech” zones where protesters can legally demonstrate.

- A 2010 security force of 7,000 police, 5,000 private security officers and 4,500 members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Mercer said that in 10 minutes surfing anti-2010 Games sites on the Internet, he came up with pictures and pamphlets showing:

- Olympic mascots carrying Molotov cocktails.

- The Olympic rings with Nazi swastikas.

- Masked protesters, tires burning, blocking a highway, an enhanced photo showing the CPR’s Olympic torch “Spirit Train” being pushed off the tracks, an image of a beheading with the words, “Elementary to the art of war, cut off the head and the body will die” and a banner reading, “Riot 2010,” taken at a rally in Chinatown in November.

“If I found this kind of thing on a website, it deserves a conversation between my staff and the people that would have put this on the website, to determine what their intentions are,” Mercer said.

“With those that are engaged or wish to engage in lawful protest, we’ll do our very best to make contact and engage in discussion with them.

“With those individuals who are planning to engage in violent or criminal protest, they’ll maintain my interest and I would suggest the Canadian public would expect me to do nothing but that.”

He said peaceful, legal protests are no problem but people using protest signs as a weapon are committing an offence.

Vancouver Deputy Police Chief Steve Sweeney said that between 50 and 70 surveillance cameras will be used at Vancouver celebration live sites, along pedestrian corridors and in the Granville Street entertainment district.

He said a small number of homeless people who live close to downtown Olympic venues will be “relocated.”

Chris Shaw of 2010 Watch said he felt intimidated when he was approached by 2010 police officers a few weeks ago.

“I think there may be people who want to use protest zones,” he said.

“The rest of the people will take the view that the whole of Canada is a free speech zone and they will protest wherever they think they need to, to exercise their Charter rights.”  

E-mail: dinwood@theprovince.com

www.theprovince.com/Olympic+security+force+prepares+criminal+protests/1768849/story.html