CALGARY -- Security officials reached out to potential protesters at the University of Calgary yesterday, aiming to prevent the kinds of violent episodes at this June's G8 summit that have plagued previous meetings of world leaders.
"What we see is an escalating pattern of violence," RCMP Sergeant Mike O'Rielly of the G8 summit security team told about 100 people who had gathered on the campus. "Perhaps on the part of the police, as well on the part of all the other people involved."
He pointed to last year's clashes at a previous Group of Eight summit in Genoa, Italy, which resulted in the death a 23-year-old activist, as a reason to find ways of reducing the conflict between police and citizens at the summit in Kananaskis, Alta., on June 26 and 27.
"We've got to come up with a new way to deal with this. We've got to come up co-operatively with some system where we can address it," Sgt. O'Rielly said.
But some people in the audience weren't interested in any sort of olive branch.
"We simply do not trust you," said Grant Neufeld, of the Calgary G8 protest organizing committee. "That is because of previous actions taken by police."
He said previous negotiations between police and protesters, including prior to last November's meeting of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Group of 20 international finance ministers in Ottawa, have proved to be nothing more than "lip service."
Peaceful protesters complained about being intimated by officers clad in riot gear who raised weapons at them and allowed police dogs to attack them.
Joe Nelson, a second-year computer science student, agreed with Mr. Neufeld, adding that he thought it was interesting that police would want to talk about deflating violence at such events, "when it's the police instigating the violence."
Peter Fortna, a 22-year-old history student, who described himself as neither for nor against the protesters, said he wasn't sure talking would relieve the tension between the police and protesters.
"I don't think it's possible. There's always going to be this dichotomy," Mr. Fortna said.
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