KJIPUKTUK (Halifax) – Halifax police behaviour was scary altogether, but I want to highlight just a couple of things I witnessed during Halifax Regional Police’s efforts to dismantle the crisis shelters placed in front of the old Halifax library this afternoon.
I know other people witnessed a kid getting pepper sprayed, and Twitter showed how police was trying to prevent journalists from doing their job. I missed what happened at the various sites during the morning entirely.
I posted these images on Twitter but publishing them on this website maybe gives it a bit more permanence.
What the video above doesn’t show is that the folks beings so methodically pepper sprayed here were standing on the sidewalk, not blocking anybody or any vehicle, and were definitely not told to get out of the way. I know because I was there.
This cop not only isn’t wearing a name tag (there were lots of those), but also sports a thin blue line patch. RCMP has banned these badges as divisive and fostering a sense of opposition between civilians and police officers. Since then the province of Ontario and cities like Ottawa, Saint John, and others have followed suit. It’s still okay in Halifax apparently.
Am I the only one who finds it strange how Halifax police is always filming protesters? You wonder, what happens with the images. Isn’t it sort of like carding, in that information is being collected about people who haven’t broken any law?
See also: Halifax sets deadline to destroy mutual aid crisis shelters as councillors dodge accountability
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Thank you for documenting this. Today’s events, the behaviour of the police, and the HRM council that endorsed this are truly appalling and shameful.
I want to hear that ONE city councillor was opposed to police action and that person will actually demand answers.
I would really like to hear the police who did these things explain why and what on earth they were so frightened off.
It is as though they hate the protesters, and this seems pretty weird.
Is it as simple as usually being respected and hence expecting respect? When they are not obeyed and perceived by others as being on the wrong side of right, they take the plunge into being really, really bad.
Perhaps they have never been told their jobs come with more responsibilities not to use force than to use it.
What can they possibly tell their kids about this day on the job?