[JCSullivan]

Pat and others, I really can't agree with you regarding the attitude about the boys in Blue, Scarlet or Green. You want to demonstrate? Go ahead. You want to cause damage, suffer the consequences.

The RCMP (as well as other police forces) may well have over reacted but then, what pressure were they under!!! From both their superiors and most probably even more, from the demonstrators. You think cops ain't human or something. Even with the best of training EVERYONE makes mistakes under pressure.

I ain't in bed with the cops but they deserve more respect than many of the people in this thread have so far been willing to give them.

End of rant

[flyer]

Just be carefull the protest doesn't turn out foul... canadian cops LOVE to pepper spray protestors and bystanders indiscriminately.

photographers Canada OAS RCMP pepper spray

If you google "pepper spray". "Canada" and "police" you'll be shocked by how many incidents of "accidental" overspray on journalists there are.

Pat

I took pictures of protest before, and as long as you don't interact with the protesters, just taking pictures, there is no real problem. Police in Canada aren't worst than anywhere else when it comes to pepper spray. I actually think they are more tolerant than the average. BUT you have to use your brain to avoid getting in harms way. Sometimes (often?), "professionnal" s__t disturbers will get into a protest to stir trouble so police are too busy to check what is going on elsewhere, so ransacking is going on close by. You NEED to stay aware of what is going on around you to stay out of trouble, and I know for a fact that when trouble is coming, it is coming FAST. When you are in a public space, you CAN photograph ANYTHING you can see from that public place. Publishing your pictures is a different story. If they are published for news or education purpose, you generally are in the "clear" when publishing them, even if you don't have releases from the people you photographed. Just keep an eye around you!

[flyer]

Just be carefull the protest doesn't turn out foul... canadian cops LOVE to pepper spray protestors and bystanders indiscriminately.

photographers Canada OAS RCMP pepper spray

If you google "pepper spray". "Canada" and "police" you'll be shocked by how many incidents of "accidental" overspray on journalists there are.

Pat

If you go to China (or similar places) , you'll be glad to be only pepper sprayed. There is always the risk of interacting with somebody panicking in an event like that, but the risk in Canada seems to be less than quite a few other countries.

[ve2vfd]

Pat and others, I really can't agree with you regarding the attitude about the boys in Blue, Scarlet or Green. You want to demonstrate? Go ahead. You want to cause damage, suffer the consequences.

I FULLY agree with you, and trust me I have no love for the violent demonstrators and the "professional rabble rousers" who always seem to show up at demonstrations (you know the ones, with dark hoodies, wearing gas masks, with backpacks full of rocks...). The cops could drown them in barrels full of pepper spray if they want, they got my full support.

Where I have a huge problem, is when the cops willingly and indiscriminately "overspray by mistake" members of the media and bystanders. It happens way too much in Canada (google it, you'll be shocked, and it happens enough for media associations to raise concerns!), and I've seen it happen in person.

The RCMP (as well as other police forces) may well have over reacted but then, what pressure were they under!!!

Hey, I'm an emergency services worker too (firefighter/medic) and formerly worked in law enforcement and it don't matter how much pressure we are under, that kind of behaviour is not acceptable. If one cannot take the pressure, one is not in the right line of work and should quit. When your job is to serve and protect the public, there are "mistakes" that cannot be made, specially malicious vengefull mistakes.

Just my 2 cents worth...

Pat

[pete_pf]

very lucky to live in canada if you ask me ... a quote from a friend

at least they let you protest here, in argentina, the police would just shoot you