G20 human rights monitors needed

he Canadian Civil Liberties Association is gathering human rights monitors to attend the G20 protests in June. The group is looking for about 45-60 individuals to work in pairs throughout the week of June 21 through 27, 2010, for four hours a day. They will be assigned to follow protests and take notes on what occurs, with an eye to watching how demonstrators are treated by police. Volunteers don’t need any legal training, but must take a CCLA training session prior to the G20. They will drop their notes off at CCLA headquarters after every shift, says general counsel Nathalie DesRosier, so that the group can take legal action if needed. But finding the right volunteers is not always easy, she acknowledged. Monitors must be willing to walk along with the protests, risking arrest, pepper spray and sonic canon, and having to endure hours of endless chants. The monitors are also expected to be impartial, and can not be there because they want to take part in the demonstrations.

“This means that if you are thinking of engaging in acts of civil disobedience, or if you think you may want to participate in the protest, you should not sign up to be a Monitor,” notes a release from the group. “You should also keep in mind that monitors may interact with the police, and there is a small chance of arrest, or being asked to testify in court. If you have personal reasons to be worried about interactions with the police, including outstanding arrest warrants or uncertain immigration status, you may not want to participate as a monitor.”

Ms. DesRosier said the CCLA is asking people already affiliated with the group to act as monitors, saying they need credible volunteers who are going to take the job seriously and can be relied on to sign affidavits, if necessary. The group has also been working with the Integrated Security Unit to express their concerns leading up to the summit. Ms. DesRosier said the CCLA is particularly concerned about the scope of the security operation and how it will be enforced.

They have asked police to disable a function of the sonic canon that causes pain. They also worry about unnecessary mass arrests and protesters being delayed for longer than necessary. “In past events, police have often detained people for longer than necessary so they don’t go back to the protests,” she said. “That’s a famous trick. But you can’t detain people just because you’re annoyed at dealing with a large crowd.”


(2010-06-01/Siri Agrell )