Rafe Mair Online

Chris Shaw, UBC prof who dared to speak out

My apologies to the early 2010 critic, now stalked by cops. He tried to tell me the Olympics were a bad bet.

Dr. Chris Shaw is a professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of British Columbia. In his field of neurological disease research, he is the author of more than 200 published research articles, reviews and abstracts, and the editor of three books.

Shaw has also opposed the 2010 Games from the start — he thinks the process is flawed from a number of points of view.

In my encounter with him on air a few years back I didn’t support him. Chris has been proven to be right. One point of his correctness I wish to deal with today is the security issue — specifically, I’d like to address the billion dollars being spent on it and the raw theft of our civil liberties.

First this mea culpa.

Chris, you were right and I was wrong — and I apologize. I, of all people, should have been able to spot the barnyard droppings, but I got caught up in the massive municipal masturbation and forgot my role. I unreservedly apologize.

What’s the Charter for, anyway?

Now down to cases.

Canadians are being denied one of their most basic rights — the freedom to assemble and protest. Here, in admirably unadorned english, is what the Charter of Rights and Freedoms says under the heading of “Fundamental Freedoms:”

Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

(a) freedom of conscience and religion;

(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;

(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and

(d) freedom of association

Chris is being investigated by the authorities because of his outspoken views and I strongly suggest that after you read this, you check out the story broken by The Tyee in this article by Geoff Dembicki entitled “Police Question Friend of Olympics Critic Chris Shaw.” The subheading reads: “Nursing student surprised at school by intelligence officers. Councillor calls it harassment.”

It is harassment. There is nothing in Dr. Shaw’s history to suggest he would ever harm anyone. Quite the opposite, in fact — a reality which I can personally confirm by his actions at protests we have both attended.

Gross denial of rights

The harassment was not, mind you, directed just towards Shaw but also towards his friend! We have here the “rat on your friends and family” technique normally associated with police states. This police behaviour (like much of the police force’s behaviour these days, I’m sad to say) is absolutely unacceptable in any country that means to support civil rights.

What we have here is a gross denial of the rights belonging to Chris and to all of us. What’s the point of having the right to assemble if you cannot peacefully protest?

This is not a rhetorical question because there is an answer. The security measures of these Olympics have dick-all to do with security — and everything to do with keeping bad images and sound bytes from worldwide newspapers, radio and TV stations. It’s not about citizens being “protected.” Its about the sales image of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It’s reminiscent of that song we sang as kids called “Home on the Range” with its line “and ne’er shall be heard a discouraging word and the skies shall be sunny all day.”

Put up a sign, police can invade your home

And get this!

Vancouver’s municipal government, as part of a deal with the IOC, has recently passed bylaws to effectively ban protest signs — giving police the right to enter your home and flush them out! Continue Reading »

Tags: 2010 Olympics, Chris Shaw