News for Youse: Get ready to riot, but leave your mask at home

by Miranda Nelson on May 7th, 2012 at 9:59 AM

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Five years in prison or a fine of up to $5,000. That's what masked or disguised protesters could be facing if a new bill passes in Canada's House of Commons.

The Conservative government announced its support of the private member's bill yesterday (May 6), which pretty much ensures the bill will become law later this year. The government posits that it'll be easier to prevent riots if those who are in disguise can be more harshly prosecuted. And we all know that's the key to riot prevention. Obviously those people we saw breaking into businesses and looting during 2011's Stanley Cup riot were masked, right?

The bill will only apply during riots or "unlawful assemblies", which means the police could easily consider any peaceful mass gathering of people as "unlawful" if anyone shows up wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, any kind of costume, face paint, or a bandanna over their mouth, aka protection from pepper spray.

(Well, yes. We suppose that could apply to costumed participants in Vancouver's monthly Critical Mass bike ride. We don't understand what you're trying to get at, though.)

Françoise Boivin, NDP justice critic and all-around voice of sanity, noted that police are already legally entitled to arrest people who are inciting riots and have legal authority to arrest anyone wearing a mask while committing a crime, so what's the point of this bill really?

Readers, we'll leave that one up to your imaginations. But we suppose this is a warning to Occupy Vancouver participants to leave your funny costumes at home if you want to exercise your right to free speech in this country.

Meanwhile, the federal government is planning on spending upwards of $7.5 million on various items, events, multiple-gun salutes, and other assorted foofaraw to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. We here at News for Youse have but one question: WHY? After all the stink raised over the cost of fighter jets and orange juice, is it necessary for the majority Conservative government to waste money printing paper flags and having provincial celebrations for a queen who won't even be there? Oh, and isn't Canada its own country anyway? History is important, sure, but pointless pageantry and royalist boosterism, not so much.

The federal government will spend $1.8 million on something called "awareness initiatives". Newsflash: we have an out-of-date allegiance to a foreign head of state. What more do you need to be aware of?

Here's an idea: why don't you spend money fixing actual problems? Like figuring out who keeps ripping off bike shops in Nanaimo. The owners of Arrowsmith Bikes and Oak Bay Bicycles have started sleeping in their shops overnight in hopes of ending a rash of robberies at their stores, which have seen bicycles stolen and a fair amount of property damage. It's not solving world hunger or anything, but the benefits would be immediate and direct. Or maybe set your sights on ousting perennial embarrassment Rob Ford from office. We'll even stop wearing our rubber Queen Elizabeth masks to protests if you just shut him up for a day or so.

Follow Miranda Nelson on Twitter.

Comments

10 Comments

Shannon P

May 7, 2012 at 11:19am

LOL. What a stupid post. Harsher penalties for those who cost millions of dollars worth of damage to cities are definitely needed. How is this not an actual problem? They need to learn that this act will not be tolerated. Furthermore, in your painfully disjointed post that reads more like a Facebook status-update, what does the Diamond Jubilee have to do with harsher penalties against riot inciters? Why don't you find something meaningful or even coherent to complain about next time?

Brian12

May 7, 2012 at 11:19am

Will the Police and security staff also get five years or a $5000 fine for covering up their name and numbers?

Jiff

May 7, 2012 at 11:22am

We're going to need some more prisons. Funny how this all seems to be working out, as if something is coming to a head.

John Lucas

May 7, 2012 at 12:12pm

Time Warner Inc. owns the rights to that now-ubiquitous V for Vendetta Guy Fawkes mask. So, activists, each time you buy one so you can go out and protest income inequality or whatever, just keep in mind that you're putting money in the pockets of the people responsible for the Fortune 500, that annual orgy of veneration for the 1%. (Time Warner itself, incidentally, is currently number 103 on that list.) Want to know how much Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes gets paid? Let's just say he's doing okay: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/03/time-warne...

Just some food for thought!

DavidH

May 7, 2012 at 1:00pm

Ummm ... $7.5 million for dear old Liz seems pretty reasonable, considering that the 2010 G8 "Tribute to Tony Clement Festival" cost more than $1 billion ... and the "Harper F35 Legacy Project" will come in at $30 billion plus (not counting gas and bullets).

One day, Canadians will have to stop saying things like, "We could spend that money on something more important!". Because, in fact, we can't and we don't. If you really think that the feds would have diverted the $7.5 million into things like, oh I dunno, feeding or housing poor people, you're living in a fantasy. Ain't gonna happen.

It's far more likely that the $7.5 million would have disappeared into Bev Oda's expense account or a few special helicopter flights for Pete McKay.

I'd rather that we bake a really nice cake for Liz and send her a $7 million Hallmark card. I find her so much less annoying that any member of the Conservative cabinet.

adam g

May 7, 2012 at 1:14pm

Wow I can only imagine the uproar at the next Rioters Union meeting " What?! We cant wear our masks on the job?!! Boooooo"

HellSlayerAndy

May 7, 2012 at 1:41pm

Actually Boivin is widely quoted as saying the NDP doesn't have a problem with the "concept" of the bill?
So why nuance the fiction of a Blue Tory and Red Tory? -- they're both Right wing parties trying to capture the center right.

Besides most people have given up on so-called political parties that play 'Opposition' pundits because there is NO evidence they will ever reverse any of the legislation or laws passed by their Familiars anyway. It's just meaningless media copy in the form of free advertising. It ain't a political spectrum thing anymore -- that's just media framing.

Give your head a shake...

May 7, 2012 at 9:03pm

You suggest it is justified to wear a mask to protect yourself from pepper spray? I would think that if you are doing something that results in getting pepper sprayed that your protest has likely crossed the line form lawful into criminal.

You also state that police can arrest anyone wearing a mask while committing an offence. Isn't it a bit late to be preventative at that point? And yes - many people during the Stanley Cup riot were wearing masks. The proof of that is how many have been charged with "disguise with intent".

Getting rid of masks will be better for all the legitimate groups who want to protest but keep getting infiltrated by the extreme groups who mask-up to destroy property.