The couple of hundred protesters who will wear disguises to next week's G8 demonstrations ought to be stopped, searched, and questioned on the reasonable and probable grounds that they're hiding their identities with the intention of causing violence.
Any who are in violation of court orders prohibiting them from participating in these types of marches should be arrested.
Every existing law, bylaw, and injunction available ought to be enforced to protect property and people from anarchists and hoodlums who will use the G8 as another excuse to stage a rumble.
But the thousands of others, planning peaceful protests to show their opposition to globalization, or capitalism, or the military, or whatever else it is they have in mind, should be guaranteed access to the capital of their country.
Police are absolutely right to declare their job is to maintain peace and order, and to protect the Charter freedoms of all citizens.
That includes the cornerstone rights of a democracy, freedom of assembly and freedom of speech.
It is almost amusing that many of those who are denouncing the Asper media empire for firing Citizen publisher Russell Mills, claiming the Aspers are trampling freedom of statement, appear so willing to deny those rights to dissenters planning peaceful, albeit inconvenient protests.
The cry is out to forbid them access to city streets in the name of protecting businesses that will suffer a decline in sales.
The same voices that champion the causes of free enterprise and smaller government now are demanding federal subsidies to compensate for lost revenue.
Bothersome as it may be for owners of downtown businesses -- irritating as it may be to motorists and pedestrians who work downtown -- and infuriating as it may be for citizens who don't share the opinions of the protesters, the fact remains we are the capital of the country, we are the home of Canadian democracy.
From hi-tech, which grew here strictly because of ready access to government contracts, to tourism which exists only because of Parliament and all that surrounds it, to downtown retail, real estate, and service industries which to this day rely on the government or government workers as their primary clientele -- all commerce in this town owes its existence to the fact we are home to the federal government.
Perks and nuisances
That brings us perks, like pretty parkways and lavish, federally financed national holidays. And from time to time it may bring nuisances brought on by roadblocks, motorcades, national and international meetings, and yes, protests. They come with the territory.
The 29 million other Canadians have every right to use this town as their town when they have a bone to pick with the government.
Downtown businesses don't seem to mind them coming here and dropping a few hundred bucks per day when they arrive to see the sights, attend capital conventions or do business with the feds.
The retailer who whines it's going to be a terrible week because between the Canada Day Holiday and the protests she won't have her normal traffic of public servants, should remind herself that the only reason she has customers in her government dominated office tower is because we are the seat of government.
We should also take a walk, ride a bike, or drive a boat along one of the many federally owned public recreation facilities in this city, paid for by fellow citizens from coast to coast, who will rarely if ever enjoy the beauty of the parks they pay to keep pretty.
If we want the benefits of being Canada's Hometown, we'll have to accept the occasional downside as well.
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Madely can be reached at (613) 739-5133 ext. 412 or by e-mail at madely@cfra.com.
Letters to the editor should be sent to oped@sunpub.com.
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