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Whistler councilors will watch June G8 meeting closely for signs of impact on community

Canada’s spy agency warns radical protests are likely Whistler councillors will be watching next month’s G8 meeting of foreign ministers here very closely.

Canada’s spy agency warns radical protests are likely

Whistler councillors will be watching next month’s G8 meeting of foreign ministers here very closely.

They want to observe how security is handled and how protesters behave at the international get-together in the on-going process of determining whether the resort will host such events as the World Economic Forum in the future.

"…we would like to monitor the meetings, the one here, the (G8 Summit) in Kananaskis and next year’s (World Economic Forum) meeting in Davos," said Whistler Mayor Hugh O’Reilly.

"From that we can see what information we can draw, what the trend is, and what is happening, because now we are attuned to it."

Whistler has agreed to host the WEF in 2004 if the organization meets a number of criteria, including maintaining the safety of the community without interfering to much in the operation of the resort.

Other criteria include shifting the meeting from peak-season in January to the shoulder seasons, making sure the federal government pays for and organizes security and insurance, ensuring recommendations to incorporate sustainability are part of the agenda, and the completion of the second phase of the Whistler Conference Centre.

In a recent report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service officials warn that radical Black Bloc elements, which disrupted previous international conferences, are likely to rally at these upcoming G8 meetings.

It also notes that the terrorist attacks Sept. 11 in the US appear to have resulted in protest groups taking a less confrontational stance.

"The anti-globalization movement will continue to regroup and pursue its various goals," states the report.

"The vast majority of protesters will attempt to stage non-violent demonstrations. Those who support the use of violence including anarchists will continue to do so.

"Numerous groups including the Black Bloc elements are likely to organize for future protests, including the G8 meeting in Kananaskis in June 2002."

The Black Bloc knocked down sections of the security fence and threw rocks, golf balls concrete chunks and hockey pucks at security forces at the April 2001 Summit of the Americas in Quebec City.

"The concerns that are voiced by CSIS are probably well-founded in the demonstrated actions of the Black Bloc," said RCMP media spokesman Sgt. Grant Learned.

He will be part of a team travelling to Whistler in the next few weeks to scout out the location of the June 12-13 G8 foreign ministers meeting and help plan the security surrounding the meeting.

The RCMP is already in discussions with several protest groups to ensure peaceful protests go ahead without any problems.

But said Learned: "The difficulty is not with the organized peaceful protest, it is with the small eight-per-cent who are attending any major protest activity with a clear mandate for public unlawfulness, destruction of property, and incitement.

"These types of people are not going to work with us (and) they won’t work with protesters either."

Foreign ministers will be here from Canada, the US, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Russian Federation.

Topics to be discussed will include: developing a list of specific measures to enhance co-operation in the field of counter-terrorism, Afghanistan’s security, international arms control and non-proliferation regimes and disarmament, and the situations in the Middle East, India/Pakistan and the Balkans.

Part of the security in the resort will focus on protecting high profile participants such as Secretary of State for the US, Colin Powell.

While Learned would not comment on how many officers will be in town it’s likely the number will be sizable.

Their role, he said, would be to maintain a balance, which allows the conference to continue uninterrupted, protesters to get their message across peacefully, and the resort to continue functioning on all levels for both guests and locals.

"In there lies a balance and that is what we are trying to find," said Learned.

Plans are still in their initial stages and it is not clear yet whether there will be any highway road checks during the G8 meeting.

"The objective would be to keep everything open and flowing smoothly," said Learned.

"But if there is a threat assessment or intelligence or information that suggests the prudent response is to have a check point on the highway, and I’m being speculative here, if that is what is deemed to be the prudent course in light of the information that we have then that will be taken into consideration."

Police are cognizant of the fact that this is an international resort destination and will try and maintain the quality of Whistler for visitors, he said.

"You can’t lose sight of the fact that it is an international resort destination and there is a tremendous amount of focus on Whistler, especially when you look down the road to the intent to hold the Olympics here," said Learned.

"Whistler as the village, and as a tourist site, and a site for on-going venues for international events, wants to ensure that everything can function as reasonably and normally as possible.

"Whistler is vying on the world stage for major events and you want to make sure that these things can happen in an environment of neutrality and relative peace."

But you also can’t lose sight of the fact that Whistler is home to a thriving community.

"Motor vehicle accidents will happen, break-ins will happen," said Learned.

"The usual calls do not stop so we have to also account for the ability for Whistler to carry on with the provision of normal service and that also includes police fire and ambulance."