CALGARY - A Calgary lawyer says plans to increase security at border crossings during the G-8 summit is part of an ongoing clamp down on our civil liberties.
Customs officials and the RCMP say they will turn away anyone carrying ski masks, pepper spray and spray paint. Edy says that energy should be directed at real security threats.
"What we've seen by authorities in Calgary, and now we're seeing it more widely, is an attempt at locking down ideas. There's a fear of the free exchange of ideas rather than protecting delegates from what legitimately may be a terrorist security threat."
Edy says the increased security is part of an ongoing clamp-down on political dissent. He says some foreigners may be surprised at how much authority guards at borders have.
"It's not like a court of law where you're demanding, how dare you do that? I have the right to get into the country, and they'd be the first to say, no you don't. It's just that these remarkable powers have never really been exercised to any great degree in the past."
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