Beyond The Commons

 Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

We are the world (II)

by Aaron Wherry on Wednesday, April 8, 2009 6:58pm - 12 Comments

Tamil protesters were still occupying the intersection next to the Langevin Block when I left the Maclean’s office just now. Many were wearing signs that read, “Sorry for the trouble, please understand our struggle.” 

The demonstration has included rather incessant drumming, which reminded me somewhat of this.

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  • madeyoulook

    So, apologetic lawbreakers are to be tolerated? Where are the cops?

    • PolJunkie

      myl, they are not breaking any laws. In a democracy, people have the right to hold protests in the streets.

      • madeyoulook

        Show me the law. Every municipality or province has the power to permit, or, get this, not permit the closure of public thoroughfares for demonstrations, festivals, parades, etc. Even in a democracy, go figure. It’s why we, democracy-lovers that we are, transfer decision making authority to our elected representatives.

        If the City of Ottawa granted a permit to shut down a busy downtown intersection and adjoining streets at rush hour, the voters will eventually give the municipal politicians what they deserve.

        I am willing to bet the City of Ottawa granted no such permit. Which means they’re breaking the law. They’re tying up traffic. They’re hobbling emergency vehicles even worse than the regular rush hour. They are unlawfully increasing Kady’s cab fare, everybody’s gasoline consumption, parents’ late penalties at daycares, etc., etc.

        Cheer for them all you like. Make this a misplaced free speech issue if that’s all you can come up with. But you’re just wrong.

  • Mike T.

    Were “virtually all” of them wearing signs?

  • CAPS

    If I’m not mistaken MIA is of Tamil background and given her engaged political stances I’m sure she’s down with the struggle.

  • PolJunkie

    So these protests are being held so that the govt would agree to grant them an audience. Jason Kenney, the designate spokesperson tasked with addressing all non-caucasian concerns, goes on the radio and tells listeners that this govt won’t give them the time of day as long as these protestors continue to wave the LTTE flag because the Tamil Tigers are considered to be a terrorists organisation.

    I happen to live in Ottawa and work downtown so I’ve seen the flag in question. Am I wrong here or doesn’t this flag (red with a tiger and two rifles) actually represent the Tamil community and not the LTTE?

    I thought I’d ask before calling Kenney an imbecile… again.

    • avr

      It’s the same design. The Tiger flag later became the Tamil “national” flag, in much the same way as the PLO flag became the Palestinian Authority flag.

      Adopting your favourite terrorist organization’s symbols and colours for the entire ethnic group isn’t really an excuse for using it in the first place. If Tamils who don’t support terror want to be taken seriously, it’s entirely open to them to use a different flag.

      • PolJunkie

        I’m told that the flags are different. The LTTE flag has the movement’s name written on it while the Tamil’s doesn’t.

        Point is, Kenney is just using the flag waving as an excuse for the govt to not talk to them.

        • avr

          The LTTE flag has the movement’s name written on it while the Tamil’s doesn’t.

          And you think this is a sufficient distinction to matter?

          If you wave a flag with a swastika on it, does it really make a difference whether or not it’s the particular version that was the official flag of Germany from 1933-45? Or is it a symbol of hate no matter what minor variations may be present?

  • JMD

    Arron Wherry may find this protest amusing but it is not so amusing for the thousands of Ottawa commuters who watch as their police stand idly by permitting a group with a grievance to block busy downtown streets for the fourth day in a row. Why are the police permitting this group to deny the use of this street to the citizens who own it?

    Few would deny this group the right of free speech protest. They can do that on Pariiament Hill forever for all I care. Just get the hell off our streets! The Ottawa police need to order these folks off the streets and enforce that order by force if necessary.

  • cwe

    Maybe they’re waiting for some friendly maritime Liberal MPs to come along and help them get home.

  • madeyoulook

    To be fair, you know not where Mr Wherry’s nose has been all day…

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