"Flash Mob" of protestors disrupt House of Commons Question Period

[CougarKing]

Remember, it's "flash mob", not "flashing mob" in the title.  ;D

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/091026/national/commons_protest

A self-described "flash mob" of environmental protesters disrupted Parliament with a raucous demonstration in the public gallery during question period Monday.


Speaker Peter Milliken briefly put questions on hold while shouts and chanting echoed through the chamber as bemused MPs gazed on.


The protesters rose in small groups and chanted slogans about the lack of government action on climate change, with another new group popping up each time security shut one down. Eventually the entire public gallery was ordered out.


A youthful mob filed down through the Hall of Honour, chanting "Green jobs now!" "Tar sands, shut it down!" and "Whose House? Our House!" in reference to the House of Commons.


House security said the crowd totalled about 120 people.


One young woman was seen being dragged down a hallway, yelling that there was "blood on the floor." Six protesters were detained by Commons security and RCMP officers, but no charges were laid, according to the Speaker's office. Instead, the six have been barred from entering the building for the next year.


Outside, several dozen protesters gathered to denounce both Conservative and Liberal inaction in advance of next month's United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen.


"What we want is climate justice," said Joe Cressy of the Polaris Institute, standing under the Peace Tower.


"We want to see a fair, ambitious and binding treaty for Copenhagen. That's what we're here for."


While endorsing an NDP-sponsored bill on climate change, Cressy described the group as a non-partisan coalition of faith-based organizations, social justice groups and environmental organizations.


NDP MP Nathan Cullen, who stood outside watching after the protesters were ushered from the building, praised the disruptive tactics.


"It's pretty powerful, there's no doubt about it, young people getting this animated," said Cullen.


"We always say we want them interested in the House of Commons. They've chosen this path."


Liberal Dominic LeBlanc shrugged off the unusual protest, which he said was the first of its nature in his nine years as a parliamentarian.


"People choose all kinds of ways to express themselves," said LeBlanc.


Environment Minister Jim Prentice did not speak to reporters in the Commons foyer after question period - somewhat delayed - finally ended Monday.

 

[vonGarvin]

Yeah, jump up and down in the house, drown out our elected members of parliament.  Democracy in action.  :

I heard on the radio that Elizabeth May said that the protesters showed more leadership than any of the members of parliament.  Disgusting!  If shouting out our elected members is leadership, then I'd hate to see lack of leadership!

:endnigh:

 

[gcclarke]

Yeah, jump up and down in the house, drown out our elected members of parliament.  Democracy in action.  :

I heard on the radio that Elizabeth May said that the protesters showed more leadership than any of the members of parliament.  Disgusting!  If shouting out our elected members is leadership, then I'd hate to see lack of leadership!

:endnigh:

She's just jealous that no one would want to bother shouting at her.

 

[Spanky]

Throw their butts in jail!  Idiots.  There are ways to protest and there are ways to act like spoiled pouty brats.

 

[Teflon]

Now that Elizabeth May has been quoted I have to go idel my car for 15min

 

[armychick2009]

They were charged with minor trespassing charges... as of six hours ago.

 

[Old Sweat]

I have not looked for a published source, but on Power Play a clip was shown of the CPC House Leader asking the speaker to investigate the incident. According to him, an NDP staffer was in the group, their passes were arranged by the NDP leader's office, which also booked a room in the Parliament Buildings for them to assemble.

Comment; I find it hard to believe that even the NDP would be that frigging stoopid, but . . .

 

[YZT580]

The national post has the article and photos of a chap who was interviewed on CBC with blood all over his face: except the blood appeared after he left the H of C.  It would seem that the CBC is up to their slam the government tricks once again.

Why would you be surprised at Jack's group coordinating such an action?  They have constantly shown contempt for everything that Canadians have stood for for generations so why not extend that contempt into the House as well?  The Government House Leader has asked for them to be charged with contempt of parliament and if the evidence is forthcoming then these actions (if supported) would certainly fall into that category.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

It is nice to live in a country where people are free


to be idiots...

;D

 

[Neill McKay]

The national post has the article and photos of a chap who was interviewed on CBC with blood all over his face: except the blood appeared after he left the H of C.  It would seem that the CBC is up to their slam the government tricks once again.

Do you feel that they should not have reported this story, then?  Or can you explain exactly where you feel they went wrong?

 

[ModlrMike]

I have not looked for a published source, but on Power Play a clip was shown of the CPC House Leader asking the speaker to investigate the incident. According to him, an NDP staffer was in the group, their passes were arranged by the NDP leader's office, which also booked a room in the Parliament Buildings for them to assemble.

Comment; I find it hard to believe that even the NDP would be that frigging stoopid, but . . .

If that is the case, then they need to be found in contempt of parliament. A concerted effort to disrupt the business of the house from within and without can be nothing short of contempt. Then again, the socialists have always been contemptuous of the both the elected and the electorate.

 

[YZT580]

Do you feel that they should not have reported this story, then?  Or can you explain exactly where you feel they went wrong?

Certainly they should report the story. But the key word is report and if, repeat if the photographic evidence is borne out then the CBC is guilty of staging the news and not reporting it.  That is serious especially when it is dealing with the manner in which the legitimate government of Canada is being portrayed to the people of Canada.  The implication is that Canada is controlled by a set of jackbooted neandertahls instead of a nation that is ruled by a reasonably balanced set of laws.

 

[Blindspot]

...then the CBC is guilty of staging the news and not reporting it.

Hate to defend the CBC but they broke the story themselves:

http://www.cbc.ca/politics/insidepolitics/2009/10/about-that-blood.html

This seems to be a case of propaganda staged by the protesters. The CBC was merely punked in their enthusiasm for sensationalism.

 

[Dissident]

Hate to defend the CBC but they broke the story themselves:

http://www.cbc.ca/politics/insidepolitics/2009/10/about-that-blood.html

This seems to be a case of propaganda staged by the protesters. The CBC was merely punked in their enthusiasm for sensationalism.

The comments from this link are pretty funny.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Haha,....Bugs Bunny said it best.

 

[mariomike]

Re: "About that bloody face..."

I started questioning newspaper photos from the time I saw a camera reporter lift a mangled tricycle out of the trunk of his car and toss it in front of the bumper of another car!

 

[armychick2009]

I never trust anything on TV or newspapers... probably based on the fact I"m a journalist and I know how things get skewered on all ends... I trust nothing and no one, unless I see it myself.

Here's another perspective.  I don't endorse what they did but I do know this guy personally and he was a first-hand witness at the event (he's a journalist too and was covering events on the hill that day)...

http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/ben-powless/2009/10/bloodynosegate-and-distraction-parliaments-climate-protests

Take it for what it's worth!

 

[PMedMoe]

Here's another perspective.  I don't endorse what they did but I do know this guy personally and he was a first-hand witness at the event (he's a journalist too and was covering events on the hill that day)...

http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/ben-powless/2009/10/bloodynosegate-and-distraction-parliaments-climate-protests

Take it for what it's worth!

As you said:

I never trust anything on TV or newspapers... probably based on the fact I"m a journalist and I know how things get skewered on all ends... I trust nothing and no one, unless I see it myself.

I've seen some good casualty simulation in my time as a medic, and Custer's "wounds" don't even look as real as some of the stuff we did.  Bleeding from the mouth?  Really?  That's not hard to do, just chomp on your tongue or the inside of your cheek really hard.  The mouth is quite vascular and bleeds easily and profusely, as the wounds take longer to close.

Even in the pictures posted here, it doesn't look real.

 

[armychick2009]

Yep! I just posted that to show the other side of the story... and likely, neither side is right. Gotta love journalism!