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Hughes Report - A Wake-up Call about Summit Policing

With the release of the Ted Hughes report on policing at the 1997 APEC Summit, Rights & Democracy has reiterated its call on the Canadian government to launch an independent inquiry into the events in Quebec City around the Summit of the Americas.

MONTREAL, 07 August, 2001 ? At the release of the Ted Hughes report on policing at the 1997 APEC Summit, Rights & Democracy has reiterated its call on the Canadian government to launch an independent and comprehensive inquiry into the events in Quebec City around the Summit of the Americas. Hundreds of groups who participated in protests in Quebec called for such an inquiry last May. Rights & Democracy also called for an investigation by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights into the use of plastic bullets and excessive tear gas.

"The Hughes report, which found widespread police incompetence and violation of demonstrators' Charter rights, underlines the need for a similar commission of inquiry into the Quebec Summit, where more serious abuses, involving plastic bullets, excessive tear gas and hundreds of arrests occurred," said Warren Allmand, President of Rights & Democracy and a former solicitor general.

"The APEC report is yet another wake-up call that it is time for us to seriously reflect on what type of policing should be used around major events, increasingly confronted by protests, especially given the upcoming G8 summit to be held in Canada."

The APEC Summit can be considered a significant milestone in the anti-globalization movement in that it was one of the first in which protesters suffered repressive police tactics. Rights & Democracy has noted and deplores an alarming escalation of such tactics at subsequent summits, notably police violence in Seattle, the use of plastic bullets, excessive tear gas and water cannons in Quebec, live ammunition at Gotenburg and in Genoa, resulting in the death of protester Carlo Giuliani.

At the same time, Rights & Democracy has condemned a progressive erosion in protesters' rights to have their message heard by the construction of walls, and the choice of increasingly inaccessible venues for international summits dealing with global economic policy. In particular, plans to hold the upcoming G8 Summit at the remote resort of Kananaskis, Alberta, go against one of the report's recommendations that "generous opportunity" should be "afforded for peaceful protesters to see and be seen in their protest activities by guests to the event."

"Governments' legitimate security concerns must be balanced with citizens' rights to protest at the G8 and other similar meetings," Warren Allmand said, as he welcomed the publication of the overdue report. "We urge the Canadian government to use the Hughes report as a tool for reflection when planning security measures for the upcoming G8."

In preparation for G8, Rights & Democracy urged the government to take steps to open more forums to increase the participation of people who are excluded from current discussions on globalization, and take their concerns seriously. The government should also ensure that there is a clear and appropriate relationship between those responsible for security and those with political responsibilities, Warren Allmand said.