Three Arrested in RBC Bombing

Posted on June 20, 2010 by Wellesley Consulting Services

A fire erupts at an Ottawa RBC branch in an image posted to ottawa. Three arrests have been made in connecction with this arson.

Ottawa police reported Saturday the arrests of three men in connection with the May 18 fire bombing of an RBC branch that caused $500,000 in damage.

The fire bombing was allegedly videotaped by the suspects and posted to an anti-capitalist website the same day, along with a message that the perpetrators would be present at the upcoming G8/G20 summits in Huntsville and Toronto.

Charged with arson, explosives offences, and mischief are Roger Clement, 58, and Matthew Morgan-Brown, 32, both of Ottawa, and charged with fail to comply and possession of ammunition is Claude Haridge, 50, also of Ottawa.

Morgan-Brown was also reportedly arrested in 2007 following a demonstration at Ottawa’s ritzy Chateau Laurier hotel, held just prior to the Montebello summit.

Both Morgan-Brown and Clement also appear on a web list of supporters for Algerian Mohamed Harkat, an alleged sleeper agent for Al-Qaeda who was previously detained on a security certificate in Canada, and who remains under house arrest in Ottawa awaiting deportation. On that list of supporters, Morgan-Brown identified as association with the Catapult! collective, and a “Matthew Morgan” has in the past been a frequent contributor to the same website where the RBC fire bombing video was first posted.

Charges were also laid against Clement and Haridge by Ottawa police in relation to an earlier incident where another Ottawa RBC branch was damaged, using rocks and a hammer.

According to police, the ammunition Haridge allegedly possessed illegally was 7.62mm, which is a common military calibre used for light and medium machineguns. The ammunition is also available to civilian markets, usually referred to as .308 calibre.

All the accused men had bail hearings Saturday and were remanded. They will appear again in court later this month.

Ottawa police said they were assisted by Ontario Provincial Police and the RCMP in the investigation. Media reports have also said that the three men were under police surveillance not long after the bank bombing.

RBC branches across Canada have been targeted numerous times in recent months by anti-capitalism and other groups, in the lead up to the Vancouver Olympics and to the G8 and G20 summits.

The Toronto G20 Impact Zone

Posted on June 2, 2010 by Wellesley Consulting Services

The RCMP-led Integrated Security Unit, which has responsibility over security for the G8/G20 Summits in Huntsville and Toronto this month, recently released road closure information.

Toronto G20 Summit road map of security barrier and traffic changes. (RCMP G8-G20 ISU website)

The area within the orange box will be generally inaccessible to the public, and access will be restricted to G20 delegates, accredited media, and other authorized persons. Residents who live within this area are asked by the ISU to register and obtain a pass, however, unregistered persons will still be able to access the zone provided they are willing to show identification and give specific information about where they are going, and are willing to wait or possibly be escorted.

This area contains the CBC building, the CN Tower, the Rogers Centre, and several business that are mostly restaurants and commercial office towers.

According to the CN Tower website, the attraction will close during the G8/G20 summit, from June 25 to 27, as a result of anticipated security restrictions on travel in the area. It is also worth noting that the main observation deck altitude of 346 metres, and proximity to the G20 site, provide for an ideal observation post for security forces to coordinate and observe activities in and around the summit facility.

The CBC is a 24 hour news media operation, and is unlikely to be significantly impacted overall. Its vehicle entrance does not face Front St, which is likely to be closed entirely to vehicle traffic.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced on May 11 they will play their three game series against the Phillies in Philidelphia, instead of at home as originally scheduled, and issue refunds to ticket holders. Their last home game before the summit will be June 24. It is expected that the Rogers Centre will be closed for the duration of the summit.

Because Bremner Blvd provides direct access to the convention centre’s south building, it is probable that it will be closed or access severely restricted. Such closures may affect businesses like the Steam Whistle Brewery, who declined to comment on G20 matters, and other businesses and condos in the area.

The Royal Bank building at 325 Front St W is also likely to see access restrictions, as vehicle access to the buildings underground parking is from Front St, which is likely to be closed betweek Blue Jays Way and York Street. The banks headquarters is adjacent to the Royal York Hotel, which is also located within the security zone and is a likely location for accomodations for delegates.

The security zone is not as large as previously projected by some media outlets, including the Globe and Mail, which suggested the security zone would extend as far as Queen Street to the north, and Queen’s Quay to the south, and Spadina to Yonge to the west and east.

Access within the blue “traffic” zone will be permitted, according to the ISU, however at this point vehicles can expect to “engage with a Toronto Police Service officer”. It is within this zone that the heaviest police presence can be expected, and the removal of street furniture such as mail and newspaper boxes, and transit shelters, will take place. Utility access covers will likley be welded shut and the bulk of the 77 additional CCTV cameras monitored by Toronto Police will cover this zone.

Security On Hiring Rush for G8/G20 Summits

Posted on May 25, 2010 by Wellesley Consulting Services

Commissionaires Great Lakes are hiring guards for a two week period coinciding with the G8/G20 summits. (Image: Commissionaires website)

The G8 and G20 summits this June could prove lucrative for some private security firms in Toronto, many of whom are on hiring blitzes to fill short term jobs next month.

During the summits, world leaders and their officials, along with media, will descend on Toronto and Hunstville, located in the Muskoka region north of the city, and will at least in part be protected by private security companies.

The Commissionaires Great Lakes is seeking to “fill short term positions” in and around Toronto in June, from the 14th to the 28th. The Muskoka 2010 G8 Summit runs on June 25 and 26, followed immediately by the Toronto 2010 G20 Summit, which runs from June 26 to 27.

The company is looking for candidates who have been residents of Canada for at least 5 years, which would enable government security clearances to be processed without delays.

Originally the Corps of Commissionaires, the security company was at one time known to favour employing former RCMP and military members, and for providing security services to public sector clients. The organization is now made up of several branches, employs a wider demographic, and sells security services to both private and public sector clients.

The RCMP-led Integrated Security Unit is responsible for the overall security program, and involves a partnership of police officers from their own agency, along with Peel Region and Toronto police, and the Department of National Defence.

A similar ISU was formed for the 2010 Vancouver Games in February, where private security officers saw wide involvement in venue entry point screening roles.

Ottawa RBC Fire a ‘Direct Action’

Posted on May 19, 2010 by Wellesley Consulting Services

An RBC branch in Ottawa was targeted in an arson Monday. (File photo: Wellesley Consulting Services)

A posting on an indepedent news site with anarchist ties has claimed the fire yesterday at an Ottawa RBC branch was a “direct action” aimed at Canada’s largest bank and one of the main sponsors of the recent 2010 Vancouver Games.

The posting, together with a video, was placed on the Ottawa site for indymedia.org. The website features articles on indiginous rights and sovereignty activities.

The video was posted along with a sequence of stills showing the ATM vestibule at the Bank St and First Ave RBC branch erupting into flames, and a caption “The Vancouver Games are over, but a torch is still burning.”

A fire erupts at an Ottawa RBC branch in an image posted to ottawa.indymedia.org

In February, an RBC branch in Guelph was vandalized by anarchists who claimed responsibility for jamming the keyholes on the doors in a posting on another anarchist blog. Protesters also targeted a Waterloo RBC branch, unfurling a banner with an anti-Olympic message.

In February and again in March of 2008, the same RBC branch at Bank St and First Ave was targeted for vandalism, first when bricks and then a month later when an ice block was thrown through windows, according to a 24 Hours Vancouver report from August that year. The report highlighted several incidents where RBC branches were targeted in vandalism attacks.

In the video posting of the Ottawa RBC branch fire, mention is made of the upcoming G8/G20 summit in Huntsville and Toronto, with the group claiming they “will be there.”

Based in Montreal, RBC has the largest market capitalization of all Canadian banks, at $75.5 billion. Royal Bank employs over 71,000 workers and has nearly 1,200 branches across Canada.

The gold-windowed Toronto offices of the Royal bank are located near the location of the June G20 summit.

Tuesday’s arson attack marks a serious escalation as arson goes well beyond vandalism and has the potential for loss of life.

A strict definition of terrorism under the Criminal Code, if applied to this arson, could be applied rendering the arson an act of terrorism, and the group behind it a terrorist group. The Code defines a terrorist act as including an act that is committed for political or ideological purposes, that is intended to intimidate the public with regard to its security, and that intentionally causes a substantial property damage likely to result in harm.

Applying the definition would then trigger a host of possible crimes related to the provision of materials or financing to the terrorist group, which are indictable offences.

CCTV to Blanket Toronto for G20

Posted on May 17, 2010 by Wellesley Consulting Services

Toronto Police will install more cameras in preparation for the June G20 Summit. (Toronto Police Service) Toronto Police will expand their CCTV program during the G20 summit that will be held in that city this June, according to a service news release.

Although CCTV has been in use in Toronto since 2007, when it was first piloted as a tool to detect and reduce crime in selected neighbourhoods, the G20 Summit security measures will add as many as 77 more cameras, according to media reports.

Continue reading →