G-8 activists refuse to view the city's granting yesterday of a special permit for their protest parade as extending an olive branch to their movement.
Mayor David Bronconnier said the granting of the permit for a two-hour parade downtown June 23 shows the city is willing to work constructively with protesters.
"We're quite prepared to accommodate the various groups who have met the requirements expected of others," said Bronconnier.
"We've always been supportive of peaceful protest."
He said the Solidarity Community group critical of G-8 economic policy has met the insurance, transportation and security requirements for the parade.
"It shows there's a clearly-lit path Calgarians are asked to follow ... this shows the process works and works well," he said.
But two activist organizers said Bronconnier and the city are hardly doing them any favours by approving the parade that could involve up to 3,000 marchers.
"It seems a lot to call it an olive branch when all we've been asking for are things that are our basic democratic rights," said Sarah Kerr.
The parade permit doesn't alter the mayor's basic hostility towards G-8 dissent, said another protest organizer.
"He doesn't seem to have changed his stance on protest in general -- it's tough for me to give him kudos when he's just doing his job," said Sarah Dover of the Legal Collective. "He can't be the Martha Stewart of Calgary dictating what can go where."
Protesters still resent the failure of the city to grant them camping space in municipal parks.
Dover said the peacefulness of the march is entirely dependent upon police behaviour.
"I can't speak to how the police will respond -- the aggressive and violent rhetoric coming from the police instils in us concern," she said, calling the overall security buildup to the June 26-27 summit "an egregious militarization of our streets."
But, Bronconnier said he has confidence the "family" parade will be policed with restraint.
"I believe we have a very thoughtful and responsible security plan," he said.
The parade will start at 1 p.m. at Eau Claire Market, head east on Riverside Ave., then south on Macleod Tr. before ending at Olympic Plaza.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. NoNonsense English offers this material non-commercially for research and educational purposes. I believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, i.e. the media service or newspaper which first published the article online and which is indicated at the top of the article unless otherwise specified.