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

by Aaron Wherry on Monday, December 7, 2009 11:04am - 47 Comments

Greenpeace stages a protest. Twitter reaction from MPs Patrick Brown, Glenn Thibeault, Brent Rathgeber, Michelle Simson, Rod Bruinooge and Olivia Chow. The Ottawa Citizen’s Glen McGregor tweets the scene.

Tags: Brent Rathgeber, Centre Block, copenhagen, East Block, Glenn Thibeault, Greenpeace, Michelle Simson, Olivia Chow, Ottawa, Parliament, parliament hill, Patrick Brown, Rod Bruinooge, West Block

Bryan

Yeah, an essential democratic freedom, climbing on top of the Parliament buildings. Wonder why Trudeau foolishly left it out of the charter.

Ti-Guy

Yeah, an essential democratic freedom, climbing on top of the Parliament buildings.

Given what we know of what *can* happen to Parliaments buildings when the peasants really revolt, you are correct.
http://intensedebate.com/people/madeyoulook madeyoulook

Don't worry about PET's oversight, Bryan. The SOC will "read it in" at the first opportunity…

http://intensedebate.com/people/Jenn_ Jenn_

Okay, what is up with the RCMP? Can they not do anything right anymore? Is it funding cuts, hiring based on partisan politics, both, or what?

http://intensedebate.com/people/robert_mccl6309 Robert McClelland

Yes, why isn't the RCMP spending millions to prevent buildings from being scaled and having banners hung on them.
wilson

Of course, it's Harper's fault!

kcm

Oh i doubt it. Not unless they were hanging a giant C.
http://intensedebate.com/people/craigola craigola

You said it wilson, not anybody else.

Maggie's Farmboy

Clearly, no other police force would have allowed this:

http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/news-and-even…

http://intensedebate.com/people/SeanStok SeanStok

Look, the Mounties have issued soapstone carvings to each and every MP and staffer on the hill. What more do want out of them?
http://intensedebate.com/people/Jenn_ Jenn_

Oh great. So they had advanced warning that this was a tactic employed by Greenpeace, and still couldn't notice fourteen people with rapelling equipment and large banners appearing on Parliament Hill.

Maggie's Farmboy

You are so right Jenn. Because Greenpeacers are readily identifiable by their green halos. Everyone knows that!

http://intensedebate.com/people/SeanStok SeanStok

I'd stay on the lookout for dreads, Birkenstocks, indifference to hygiene and a hempish aroma…

http://intensedebate.com/people/SeanStok SeanStok

Then, just listen to for anyone with phish tunes as their ringtones…
Lord Kitchener's Own

Wait, so they're not only Greenpeace activists, but Greenpeace activists transported to the future from 1993???

Lord Kitchener's Own

I don't know if by "hempish aroma" you mean what I think you mean, but if so, and Ottawa's anything like Montreal, you'd have to stop anyone under 40.

http://intensedebate.com/people/madeyoulook madeyoulook

LKO, rest assured. Ottawa is nothing, absolutely nothing, like Montreal.

Dick Richards

Conservatives Bill Murdoch and Randy Hillier (and the entire Ontario PC party) found nothing wrong with trespassing in the Ontario legislature building as a sign of protest…what's good for the goose is good for the gander
wilson

At least they were only armed with banners.
Dee

Best. Security Breach. Ever. Kudos to Greenpeace.

Maggie's Farmboy

Yes, with any luck they'll now close off the Parliament Buildings to the public.

Kudos indeed.

Maggie's Farmboy

…because I'd never heard of this climate-change thingy until this Greenpeace stunt.

kcm

Young people taking a risk for something they believe in…how shocking!
Dee

… most Canadians have heard of climate change. But they're (Canadians and their elected politicians) doing diddly squat about it. This is essentially a public shaming which I'm all for…

Dee

Well, maybe the RCMP and Parliament security will look into locking some of those doors to the roof.

http://intensedebate.com/people/WDM WDM

I think we should all leave this thread as is. I think Maggie can take it from here.

Maggie's Farmboy

Yes, well, ahem…perhaps I could dial it back a notch.

Home with sick child and bored out of my tree, you see.

Lord Kitchener's Own

Another thought on this is "Do we really think it was "easy" for those protesters to scale the Parliament Buildings???"

Whatever one might think of the protesters message or methods, I think one had to give them this – I certainly can't think of something I'd climb to the top of the Parliament Buildings to protest. Even if you think the protest was silly – heck, even if you think it was totally illegal and wrong – still, you've got to give them some props.

MaggiesFarmboy

Except that there is currently some scaffolding along the back, replete with ladders, making the task a little bit easier.

(Sorry all, can't let it go…)

http://intensedebate.com/people/SeanStok SeanStok

Would it help if they were singing this? :)

"Well, I try my best
To be just like I am,
But everybody wants you
To be just like them.
They say sing while you slave and I just get bored."
kcm

Nope.I heard they did some rappeling. As someone who's worked at height and rappeled [genied] large buidings before, i can tell you it's not for the faint of heart.

Lord Kitchener's Own

Heck, even if they used existing scaffolding at the bottom to get them started, you couldn't pay me enough…

The Kev

You have to go through more security to get into the House of Commons printing office on Queen Street, than into any of Centre, East, or West Blocks.
MaggiesFarmboy

Ha. I'll try.
http://intensedebate.com/people/SeanStok SeanStok

You can have my outdated stereotypes and references when you pry them from my cold, dead hands.
Dick Richards

What Stephen Harper is thinking right now:

Hmmm…hang a banner advertising yourself on the parliment buildings and everyone notices…hmmm…

kcm

First ya gotta find someone with the gumption to climb up there…or someone expendable…does Mackay climb?

kcm

Doubt if Harper would be interested…It's f***ing hard to get a piano up there!

tobyornottoby

Scaling a building is kind of a do it yourself gig, no the thing people hire out for. Harper's probably going to go with the crop duster contrails for his global warming message instead.