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 RCMP and Ottawa cops prepare to arrest a Greenpeace activist after a group scaled the West Block and Centre Block at Parliament Hill today to protest climate change. (Sun Media/Darren Brown) |
OTTAWA -- RCMP and parliamentary security officials are at a loss to explain how 19 Greenpeace activists sauntered onto Parliament Hill and found their way to the tops of the Centre Block and West Block buildings early yesterday morning.
While the protest message was climate change, the big story was the remarkable breach of security around buildings that house Canada's top politicians Ñ much to the chagrin of both Greenpeace and the RCMP.
An RCMP spokeswoman refused to speculate on how the protesters reached the rooftops, citing an ongoing investigation. However, the Mounties are increasing security measures on the Hill pending a full review
Ottawa police arrested 19 climbers and one organizer. All are charged with mischief and unlawful assembly.
Protesters were dressed like workers, complete with blue coveralls and hard hats, and might have used scaffolding at the back of the West Block to climb to the roof.
Once on the roofs at about 7:30 a.m., the activists unfurled banners and signs to protest what they consider a lack of action by Canada and other countries on climate change.
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The largest banners read: "Harper/Ignatieff: Climate Inaction Costs Lives," in both English and French.
'Human survival'
"This isn't a little game," said Greenpeace spokeswoman Christy Ferguson. "This is about human survival and survival of the planet."
She said Greenpeace's recent efforts are focused on the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, which began yesterday. Canada is one of 192 nations taking part.
Environment Minister Jim Prentice brushed off the protest.
"Well, the issue at Copenhagen isn't people climbing on the Parliament Building in Ottawa," he said. "The issue at Copenhagen is how we're going to arrive at a binding international treaty that applies to all of the principal emitters of carbon so that we can reduce carbon emissions. And Canada is prepared to be a responsible party in all that."
Ferguson said she wouldn't divulge how her people managed to scale the building, citing "trade secrets."
What might be just as disconcerting to security officials is that Greenpeace doesn't conduct extensive background checks on members -- including the ones involved in yesterday's protest.
"We do a lot of training and we get to know them well," she said. "These are people we know and trust."
Firefighters and police first removed the banners and then moved in to arrest the protesters.
Several of them remained atop the building for more than two hours, including three climbers who hung over the front of the West Block suspended by ropes. The last one was plucked off just before 11 a.m.
Ottawa police charged the following people with mischief:
Cyndie DUBOIS, 31, of Quebec, QC
David FUJII, 42, of Toronto, ON
David MAJOR, 34, of Toronto, ON
Denis HEBERT, 41, of Toronto, ON
Eryn WHEATLEY, 23, of Markham, ON
Glenn MACINTOSH, 42, of Toronto, ON
Jesse RICHMAN, 20, of Montréal, QC
Jessica SCHWARZ, 22, of Edmonton, AB
June KENDALL, 63, of Hudson, QC
Melanie DUPUIS, 22 of Laval, QC
Michael HUDEMA, 33, of Edmonton, AB
Michele LAVOIE, 24, of Montreal, QC
Naila LALJI, 33, of North York, ON
Nicola WESTWOOD, 31, of Toronto, ON
Olivier HUARD, 32, of Repentigny, QC
Paul BAKER, 20, of Saskatoon, SK
Sarah BERNIER, 21, of Quebec, QC
Seychelle CLOUTIER COLLARD, 24, of Montreal, QC
Vanessa BUTTERWORTH, 24, of Bolton, ON
Yannick ST. JACQUES, 25, of Quebec, QC