溫哥華反冬奧示威爆衝突

反奧運暴徒打碎溫哥華的商店櫥窗
7名示威者被警方逮捕
Anti-Olympics rioters smash Vancouver store windows
Seven protesters arrested by police
Last Updated: Saturday, February 13, 2010 6:17 PM
Anti-Olympics protesters smashed windows as they marched through downtown Vancouver on Saturday morning. (CBC)


More than 200 masked protesters smashed windows, vandalized cars and newspaper boxes and intimidated pedestrians in downtown Vancouver Saturday morning before being confronted and dispersed by police in riot gear.

The anti-Olympics protesters, many dressed in black balaclavas and masks, and carrying a ladder, smashed up to three windows at the Hudson's Bay store and one at the Toronto-Dominion Bank near the intersection of Granville and West Georgia streets.

The group also sprayed the windows with red paint, were involved in several confrontations with supporters of the Olympic Games, and threw marbles and spat at police before marching down West Georgia Street toward the Bayshore Hotel in Coal Harbour where the International Olympic Committee members are staying.
Retreating protesters use a ladder to form a barricade as police follow them through downtown Vancouver streets. (CBC)

But as the marchers neared the hotel they were turned back by the Vancouver Police Department crowd control unit and the 2010 Integrated Security Unit at the Cardero Street intersection.

The police then managed to disperse the protesters into several smaller groups, and at one point a core group of the most violent protesters was encircled by police at the intersection of Robson and Jervis streets in the downtown area.

Police said seven suspects were arrested, including one with a bicycle chain wrapped around his fist, and charges of mischief were pending. They also said they seized a bag containing a hammer.

By noon, the rest of the protesters had been largely dispersed by police, although some of the protesters said they planned to regroup later in the day.

Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu later blamed a group of about 100 anarchists at the protest for causing many of the problems.

"The demonstration involving a number of anarchists, some of whom dress all in black and employ a tactic called Black Bloc. This included a loosely organized group of thugs from Central Canada known to attach themselves to any cause, travel to any event that attracts media coverage and promote anarchy wherever they go," said a statement issued by police.
A protester kicks at police as they arrest one of the protesters Saturday morning in Vancouver. (CBC)

"What we saw today is the criminal element has taken over the group," said Chu.

Police will respect the rights of those who wish to express their criticism through protests, but that does not give them right to commit crimes and jeopardize the public’s safety, he said.

Meanwhile, TransLink, the Metro Vancouver transit authority, said it was forced to reroute buses away from the Lions Gate Bridge after it was closed to traffic in both directions because of a serious accident, but the bridge was reopened at 11:30 a.m. PT.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/02/13/bc-vancouver-olympic-protest.html

溫哥華反冬奧示威爆衝突
(明報)2010年2月15日 星期一 05:10
【明報專訊】加拿大 溫哥華 昨日有約300名示威者上街，反對舉行冬奧。示威者與防暴警察爆發衝突，最少7人被捕。示威者指政府花錢舉辦冬季奧運 ，令社會上有需要人士獲得的支援減少，又指不少舉辦運動會的場地原本由土著擁有，當局為舉辦冬奧而掠奪了他們的土地。

遊行最初和平進行，但一批穿著黑色衣服的蒙面青年中途加入遊行隊伍，他們步行穿過溫哥華市中心，高呼反奧運口號，並向商業區售賣奧運紀念品的商舖櫥窗擲金屬報紙架及潑紅油，又破壞街上汽車，將路邊的郵箱扔到街道中央。部分蒙面青年更與途人推撞。當局出動防暴警察、催淚氣體部隊和直升機阻止這批激進示威者搗亂，最少有7人因非法藏有武器及襲警被捕。國際奧委會 和溫哥華冬奧會籌委會呼籲示威者以和平及非暴力的方式抗議。

美聯社
http://hk.news.yahoo.com/article/100214/4/glb8.html