Activists coming to Calgary to protest the G-8 could be forced to break some laws because they haven't been given a sanctioned place to stay, says an organizer.
Sarah Kerr, on the steering committee for Solidarity Village, said the city could be putting protesters up against a wall after denying their requests for space to hold a music and educational festival to protest the June 26-27 summit.
"In some ways it puts people in a position where if they want to come to speak out they have to break the law -- trespass, sleep in parks," she said.
And she said those arrests may be just what police forces want.
"It justifies the military apparatus that's been put in place," she said.
On Wednesday, city officials said they were unable to find a suitable spot for Solidarity Village.
Organizers say it's now too late for them to pull the festival they'd wanted together, even if another large space is found.
People are still committed to coming to speak out against the G-8, but events will be spread throughout the city, said Kerr.
"The struggle to find a venue to have these conversations is a metaphor for the bigger struggle for global justice," she said.
Activists are also talking to the Tsuu T'ina nation about potential space, but Kerr said it's "a long shot" and still would be too late to hold the Solidarity Village they'd planned.
In a news release yesterday, organizers said a large outdoor event like Solidarity Village "is the best way to avoid the kinds of nasty confrontations we've seen at other G-8 and WTO meetings."
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