By William Miller
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America
TORONTO, Canada – The Vancouver City Council approved changes to the Olympic bylaws on Thursday, December 3, in response to concerns of civil rights advocates who feared the bylaws would place too heavy a burden on free speech rights. The Council has reduced the impact of the rules considerably. However; many feel the rules are still too restrictive of free speech.
The bylaws are provisions set up by the Vancouver City Council to serve as temporary measures during the Olympic Winter Games to be held there in 2010. The bylaws will make it easier for authorities to curb public disturbances during the games and quickly remove illegal signs. Anti-Olympic and free speech activists however have raised concerns that the temporary changes could be used to curb decent and limit the ability of protestors to convey their message.
Vancouver originally passed the bylaws in July. After public outcry over the provisions the city decided to revisit the rules and change some of the provisions.
One of the revisions has changed restrictions on sign posting so it only applies to commercial signs designed to capitalize on the game illegally. Originally, the rule applied to all signs and would have made it easy for police to remove any sign in a few days, a task which could take a month to accomplish under the city ordinances. Activists feared that this would be used to remove any signs used by protestors during the games.
The revised provision will have no effect on any protestor materials. Any signs used by protestors can only be removed under the city ordinance. As a result any protestor sign sought to be removed would remain up until after the games had ended.
Other provisions which had generated concern still remain in place. A ban on megaphones and noisemakers in designated Olympic areas remains unchanged and a ban on creating public disturbances was changed slightly to read to a ban on unreasonably interfering with the ability of others to enjoy the games.
City Manager Penny Ballem said “If somebody is creating a huge disturbance or disrupting entertainment or disturbing people who are there to enjoy the legitimate activities that we put into place, then we would have the ability, as you would in any other public place, to ask them to leave and if they persist to actually be able to remove them from the property.” The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and local police have both said that they will not use the bylaws to target protesters.
The failure to revise these provisions continues to generate concern among activist. David Eby of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association raised concerns at the City Council meeting that criminal codes are already in place to deal with public disturbances and the new bylaws are unnecessary.
Two groups have previously filed lawsuits over the restrictions posed in July. Eby said that the new rules have addressed most of the issues raised in the complaint but did not say if the lawsuit would be dropped.
For more information, please see:
Xtra.ca – Vancouver City Council Somwhat Relaxes Olympic Security Bylaws – 4 December 2009
Canadian press – Vancouver Passes Bylaws Critics Say Will Limit Speech During 2010 Olympic games – 3 December 2009
Metro News – Vancouver Passes Bylaws Critics Say Will Limit Speech During 2010 Olympics – 3 December 2009
