Spying On Protesters Becomes Political Issue

June 13th, 2014

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

The Conservative government is defending its surveillance of public demonstrations throughout Canada, insisting that peaceful protests can sometimes become violent and pose threats to national security.

But the official Opposition isn’t buying it, and says the civil rights of Canadians are being violated by how the federal government is using bureaucrats to keep watch of legitimate protests.

The issue was discussed in the House of Commons on Friday, after the Citizen revealed the surveillance activities of the government earlier in the week.

New Democrat MP Niki Ashton was among members of her caucus who pressed the government for an explanation.

“Let us be clear about what we are talking about,” Ashton told the Commons.

“This is about the ministry of public safety maintaining a registry of demonstrations to spy on Canadians who protest. How can the minister justify turning the ministry of public safety into a spy agency that keeps tabs on peaceful protesters?”

Roxanne James, parliamentary secretary to the public safety minister, fielded questions on behalf of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s governing Tories.

“Protests and rallies are public events,” said James.

“Protests that create blockades on highways, railroads, international ports of entry and bridges have significant impact on Canadian interests and pose potential security threats.”

“Every Canadian watching today must recognize and appreciate that it is our government that is making sure that those things are looked after.”

The MPs were responding to a revelation by the Citizen, which published a story after it received a leaked email circulated through government.

The email was sent out Tuesday by the Government Operations Centre in Ottawa to all federal departments.

“The Government Operations Centre is seeking your assistance in compiling a comprehensive listing of all known demonstrations which will occur either in your geographical area or that may touch on your mandate,” noted the email.

“We will compile this information and make this information available to our partners unless of course, this information is not to be shared and not available on open sources. In the case of the latter, this information will only be used by the GOC for our Situational Awareness.”

The Government Operations Centre (GOC) is supposed to provide strategic-level coordination on behalf of the federal government “in response to an emerging or occurring event affecting the national interest.”

It assesses the requirement for developing plans to prevent or deal with emergencies such as pandemics, earthquakes, forest fires and floods. It also monitors overseas situations such as the 2011 crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan.

But the GOC has also been involved, as an intelligence clearing house, in compiling information on aboriginal protesters. This week’s email suggests the GOC is significantly expanding its surveillance activities to include all demonstrations by any person or group.

In the Commons Friday, New Democrat MP Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe said that freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly are “fundamental rights” protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

She pressed James for an answer on why the privacy rights of Canadians are being “consciously trampled by the government” through its “super-spy agency.”

“The Government Operations Centre needs to be prepared to respond to any potential event to ensure confidence in government and continuity of federal services,” said James. “Canadians expect nothing less.”

“Peaceful protests can suddenly turn violent, just as law-abiding citizens can suddenly create a crime.”

James said the government respects “the right of all Canadians to peaceful protest.”

“However, Canadians also expect that local law enforcement will ensure that the laws are respected. In order to do that, the Government Operations Centre monitors any event that may pose a risk to public safety.”

The GOC was created in 2004 by Public Safety Canada. It is connected with the operations centres of 20 federal departments and agencies, as well as with those of the provinces and territories, and other countries, including the United States.

Last year, the GOC was involved in coordinating a response to aboriginal demonstrations against fracking. The GOC distributed a map of the area where the RCMP had conducted raids on protesters who had seized an oil company’s vehicles. It also produced a spreadsheet detailing 32 planned events in support of anti-fracking.

More:

Canadian Forces Spent Virtually All 2013 Watching Idle No More Protesters

Source Article from http://www.popularresistance.org/spying-on-protesters-becomes-political-issue-in-canada/