Video of police shoving incident in Downtown Eastside deleted from Web

Following false complaints of copyright infringement, a popular video-sharing site removed surveillance footage that shows a police officer shoving a disabled woman to the ground, says the B.C. Civil Liberties Association.

“I think that the motivations for the complaints are purely political,” BCCLA executive director David Eby told the Straight today (July 23) by phone.

“It’s very clear that this is not proprietary copyright footage, that this is original footage properly in the possession of the BCCLA, which means that the complaints were motivated at having the video removed and they were successful,” he said.

In the video, three Vancouver police officers walk side by side along a busy Downtown Eastside sidewalk. As a disabled woman attempts to pass between the men, one of them appears to push her to the ground.

In news interviews, the woman has identified herself as “Sandy” and said she has cerebral palsy.

Vancouver police say the officer apologized to the woman following the June 9 incident on Hastings Street. The department’s Professional Standards Section is also investigating.

Eby said the woman obtained a copy of the footage under provincial freedom of information legislation from a non-profit housing group. She then provided the BCCLA with consent to use the video.

Eby said the clip was viewed more than 99,000 times in two days on the Vimeo site before it was removed without notice earlier today. It has now been reposted on YouTube.

Eby described the copyright complaints as problematic because the removal of the video created dead links on local news media sites.

“In our minds, that’s a free speech issue and one that we’re working with Vimeo on to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Eby said.

In disputes over copyright, Vimeo requires written notification including a signature and other contact information from the owner of the material or a representative.

“Vimeo will remove infringing materials in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act if properly notified that content infringes copyright,” reads a message on the video-sharing site.

Eby said he is seeking details about who made the complaints.

Comments

11 Comments

Thugs and bullies

Jul 23, 2010 at 1:05pm

Fascists will use lies coercion and violence to achieve their ends and call it cake. I'm not at all surprised by the actions of our police anymore - I'm sick of it.

We need change.

rex

Jul 23, 2010 at 4:47pm

It sure shows what kind of a man they have on their force. Sick and uses excuse, BS

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Give me a minute

Jul 23, 2010 at 5:17pm

Big tough guy pushing a disabled person to the ground. Id love 5 min one on one with that coward without his badge on. I would show him what its like to hit the ground.

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Jeremy of the APC

Jul 25, 2010 at 1:12pm

The after-math of this story just keeps getting creepier.

There's even been a lot of highly suspect posting in the comment threads for the georgia straight.

I'm talking about the tools who lurk for days, replying to everyone with "I didn't see any police misconduct in that video." You'd have to blind ... and why are they the only ones who seem to be able to post over and over?

To my mind, the straight has never looked so editorially compromised as it has with this story.

Jeremy of the APC

Jul 25, 2010 at 1:23pm

Retract my statement about the GS. There's just a really long delay on posting. I was confused and also seeing red about this story. Apologies, etc.

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RodSmelser

Jul 25, 2010 at 8:56pm

===>>> Jeremy

What does APC stand for, if anything?

Do you really think people should take your rants seriously? What is the real reason for your attitude towards the police?

Rod Smelser

Jeremy of the APC

Jul 26, 2010 at 12:11pm

I imagine people take internet comment threads VERY seriously Rod ...

My attitudes toward police are a combination of direct experience and a basic understanding of their true mandate. By and large, they protect the wealthy from the rest of us, and occasionally catch serial killers and fish kittens out of trees for little old ladies.

But MOSTLY, they protect the propertied classes and enforce their will.

What about you?
Any delusions of grandeur based on what you post here?

We must be turning the tide of public opinion right now!

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RodSmelser

Jul 26, 2010 at 4:33pm

===>>> Jeremy

Few people even read these comments.

Those who do are jaded enough that angry yet silly screeds like your's aren't going to make much of an impression on audiences who have seen it all before, the fake emotion, the staged line of argument, the self-important claims of involvement, etc.

You'd be doing DTES residents a lot more good if you spent your summer moments selling icy cold beer down at Wreck.

Rod Smelser

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Jeremy of the APC

Jul 27, 2010 at 11:44am

That was sarcasm Rod. I know nobody reads these things as well as you do ... it's pretty obvious. This is getting interesting though, I'm not who I say I am?

Does DTES activism seem so glamorous to you that people would make it up? I wish everyone thought we were as cool as you seem to think we are. Then we could probably afford the rent on our office and bother to update our website.

I don't know why anyone would fake their anger after seeing that video and staged lines of argument was what you showed up here with, which is why we're getting along so well.

As for self-importance, I'm killing you in the polls for the threads where we discuss the article.
As amusing as these personal attacks are ... they're WAY off topic.
Quick! Get your friend to all click disagree!

Boon

Jul 29, 2010 at 3:41pm

Not that I condone what the cop did but isnt this also kind of a case where I'm against something unless its on my side? Arent the same people citing the video footage in criticism of police handling also critical of public street surveillance? Now, it appears that i may have come in handy when on one's side?

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