A group of independent human rights observers, including an Amnesty International representative, was denied access to watch in jail and behind police lines during G-8 protests.
And Joshua Rubenstein, Amnesty's U.S. northeast regional director, said they're disappointed in the decision and now worry for the safety of observers who will stay to watch police dispersing protesters.
"We don't want police to think our decision to stay is a provocation," said Boston-based Rubenstein. "We are not here to be activists; we're here to be observers."
In a letter to the Alberta Civil Liberties Association president Stephen Jenuth, Calgary Police Service Deputy Chief Rick Hanson said the official observer program could not be sanctioned as "the candidates presented in general do not possess the background and knowledge of the law required to make balanced and objective observations."
But Rubenstein disagrees with that assessment.
"I'm the longest serving staff member of the U.S. section of Amnesty International," said the 27-year employee who has been on missions to the former Soviet Union, the Russian Federation and Israel. "I think I have adequate experience to sit and observe."
While police and protesters both promise peace, Amnesty's Canadian secretary general Alex Neve, said it's "critical" independent observers report on any violations on each side.
"It's becoming increasingly difficult to understand what's been happening in policing around international events -- did the rocks fly first or did the tear gas fly first?" Neve said.
Summit security office spokesman Staff Sgt. Mike Gaudet said police had hoped to have an official observer program, as they've worked in the past when member backgrounds in international policing were adequate.
Gaudet urged observers to use "good judgement and common sense" about where they'll be when police need to act.
"If people are here with the intent to cause violence, we'd hope people would not get between police and doing their job," Gaudet said.
The observer group still plans to have people at the protests to monitor the situation, but it hopes summit security officials change their mind.
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