Evidence of meeting #36 for Public Safety and National Security in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was toronto.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Brent Rathgeber Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
I agree that in this country you should have the right to peacefully protest. But you'll agree with me that you should not have the right to violently protest and destroy property of others--
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Brent Rathgeber Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
--or to turn over police cars. You agree with that. I'm not suggesting you were involved in that, but you will agree with me that is offside.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Brent Rathgeber Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
You didn't quite answer my question.
So you went there to peacefully protest--I appreciate that. But what was your ultimate goal? Did you think that somehow you would have an effect on the outcome, that somehow the G-20 leaders would be so moved by your protest that they would change their policies? Was that your goal here?
4:40 p.m.
As an Individual
I think your question is completely out of context. My intention was not to have an influence on the G20's decisions; my intention was to express my political opinions, which I absolutely have a right to do. So I don't understand the meaning of your question.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Brent Rathgeber Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
Ms. Mansour, what was your goal in being there?
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Brent Rathgeber Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
Yes. My question is, what did you hope to accomplish by taking several days out of your busy life to go to Toronto? Was your goal to somehow effect public policy? Was it to have some face time with President Obama? Or was it to cause disruption? What was your endgame here?
4:45 p.m.
As an Individual
What was my goal when I went to demonstrate? Right now, I would tell you frankly that I'm not proud to live in a Canada governed by Mr. Harper. I'm not proud of that, and I went to demonstrate against the political positions that Mr. Harper and his members have adopted. That's it.
I went to see Mr. Obama, and I knew very well that Mr. Harper was not going to change his mind because he saw 20,000 or 30,000 people in the street. I had no short-term goal; the goal was a long-term one.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
Brent Rathgeber Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
Okay, so what's your long-term goal? Was your long-term goal to have the overturn of the Harper government? Or is it to defeat capitalism generally?
4:45 p.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
4:45 p.m.
As an Individual
Look, I don't have a specific goal that I could summarize for you in one sentence. My goal is to express my opinions. I'm prepared to go and demonstrate in order to express both a positive opinion and a negative opinion. A demonstration isn't necessarily negative. I have no specific goal that I could express in one sentence. That's all I can tell you, sir.
4:45 p.m.
As an Individual
Nevertheless, 30,000 people went and demonstrated at that summit. I don't think every person who went to demonstrate intended to overturn the Harper government's policies. I believe we have a right to express our opinions. It's healthy to do that in a democracy; it's healthy for political opinions to be disseminated, even if they oppose government policies.
I don't see why we would need to think we were going to influence the G20's decisions. We're entitled to express our opinions without that.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
Brent Rathgeber Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
It's not my suggestion that it was your goal to overturn the Harper government or capitalism generally, because we both know that's unrealistic, but what I'm suggesting to you is that it was your goal to get on the news and to be seen and to cause disruption. That is my suggestion. Would you agree or disagree with me?
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
Brent Rathgeber Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
Did the Anti-Capitalist Convergence provide you with anything besides free transportation to Toronto?
4:45 p.m.
As an Individual
The people from that organization had entered into an agreement with the graduate student association of the University of Toronto so that we could sleep in a gymnasium in order to lower costs.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
Brent Rathgeber Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
I understand they also gave you information on what to do if you were ever arrested.
4:45 p.m.
As an Individual
I don't remember that, but they gave out the numbers of lawyers we could reach in case of arrest. That's all.
Some people wrote the number of a lawyer to contact in case of need on their arms, which is a constitutional right. So some people were apparently arrested for that reason. That's all.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
Brent Rathgeber Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
Why do you think they gave you the phone numbers of lawyers?