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The debate over Vancouver’s 2010 bylaws

July 22nd, 2009 · 48 Comments

In another ring of the Vancouver city hall circus these days, the city’s proposed bylaw changes to noise, graffiti and other bylaws is generating all kinds of heat and light.

Here’s just one small sample of the exchanges going on.

—–Original Message—–
From: Michael Healey
Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 10:39 AM
To: Anton, Suzanne; Cadman, David; Chow, George; Deal, Heather; Jang,
Kerry; Louie, Raymond; Meggs, Geoff; Reimer, Andrea; Stevenson, Tim;
Woodsworth, Ellen; Robertson, Gregor
Subject: Proposed by law restricting protests at 2010 olympics

Dear Mayor and Council

In the July 21 edition of the Vancouver Sun, columnist Daphne Bramham
reported that City Council is planning a new bylaw to restrict peaceful
protest at the 2010 Olympics. If this is true it is completely
unacceptable and a black mark against a supposedly “progressive”
Council. It reminds of the fiasco around the APEC meeting in Vancouver a
decade ago when citizens were walled off from parts of their city and
pepper spray happy police doused peaceful protests. Our ancestors fought
hard and bravely opposed just such restrictive laws as these to gain the
right of peaceful civil protest for all of us. If Mayor and Council
rescind these rights in support of a morally bankrupt institution like
the IOC it will be a sad comment on their civic values and on our
democracy. If this bylaw passes I hope that all Vancouver citizens will
protest where it is forbidden simply to show this Council that
constitutional rights cannot be brushed aside in the name of profit.

Sincerely,

Michael Healey
Professor Emeritus, UBC

From: Geoff Meggs

Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 10:57 AM
To: ‘Michael Healey’; Anton, Suzanne; Cadman, David; Chow, George; Deal,
Heather; Jang, Kerry; Louie, Raymond; Reimer, Andrea; Stevenson, Tim;
Woodsworth, Ellen; Robertson, Gregor
Cc: Sweeney, Steve; Magee, Michael
Subject: RE: Proposed by law restricting protests at 2010 olympics

Hi Michael:

I am drafting a reply to Daphne’s column, which is quite wrong. The
bylaw changes have nothing to do with preventing peaceful protest, which
is obvious if you review them. They do improve the city’s ability to
deal with graffiti, commercial advertising and the management of live
sites, among other things.
You should be aware that since our election, our council has:
– restated its commitment to the human rights aspects of the Inner City
Inclusivity statement in the bid book;
– assisted the Integrated Security Unit to begin consultations with an
arms-length panel of human rights experts, chaired by retired Judge
Jerry Paradis, that was created in part by BCCLA;
– had our own senior staff meetings with the Civil Liberties Advisory
Committee chair by Paradis and increased our own city engagement with
communities likely to impacted by the Games;
– supported the VPD’s clear commitment to uphold Charter freedoms during
the Games.
The ISU policies are based firmly on the conclusions and recommendations
of the Hughes review of the APEC affair. I appreciate your concern on
this matter. I believe it is shared by the entire council.

Geoff

GEOFF MEGGS
Councillor
City of Vancouver
604-873-7249

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