EDMONTON (CP) -- Alberta's premier vowed to arrest and prosecute protesters who break the law at the G-8 summit meeting of world leaders next month.
"If you break the law, be prepared to go to jail," Premier Ralph Klein said this week in a message directed toward protesters.
"I think I have the backing of all Albertans."
The premier said wilful destruction on any scale will lead to arrest and complete prosecutions.
"The Crown will prosecute all charges where it is satisfied that it has evidence to gain a conviction," said Bart Johnson, spokesman for Alberta Justice.
Prosecutors have held special classes for police to detail what evidence they will need in court.
"We've had prosecutors working with police for a number of months, going over with them the sorts of charges they can consider for certain acts and making sure that police will gather the evidence that they will require," Johnson said.
Klein said environmental destruction is property destruction.
"I don't think Albertans will abide with violence or destruction of property," he said.
Protesters are expected on two fronts -- in Calgary and at the Kananaskis site about an hour to the west.
Calgary police are co-ordinating security in the city while RCMP are handling arrangements at the park.
Soldiers and police officers from numerous departments across the country are also being deployed.
Officers have trained for full riot response -- including crowd control, and use of tactical weapons and armoured vehicles.
As well, dockets at Calgary courthouses have been cleared during the last two weeks of June to free up officers and handle a possible influx of arrests. Jail space has also been secured.
"My message to these people (is), 'If you cause any damage, you are going to be arrested and you are going to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,"' Klein said.
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.