Why didn’t police shutdown last weekend’s 14th Street protest?
Posted Jan 15, 2013 11:54 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Whether public opinion is on the side of the Idle No More movement or not, First Nations activists will continue protests like the one Calgarians saw on 14th Street this past weekend.
The roadway was closed for a number of hours as protestors stood in the way of traffic to protest the federal government’s perceived lack of action in dealing with First Nations issues.
Cara Zwibel with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association tells 660News, it’s not as simple as telling the police to move in an disperse the protestors.
“From the outside it can look like there’s preferential treatment or there’s different standards applied,” says Zwibel. “But I think police officers have to look at each situation and do an assessment about how to appropriately deal with things.”
Many Calgarians were critical of Calgary Police for its handling of the 14th Street protest last weekend. But Zwibel feels the Harper government can make these types of scenes disappear.
“There’s a message and a goal here,” adds Zwibel, “and I think it’s one that needs to be dealt with on the political level rather, you know, at the level of policing.”
Idle No More activists have said Wednesday January 16th will be a national day of protest across the country.
