US embassy cable - 03HALIFAX86

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HALIFAX 0086 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
DEPT FOR DS/IP/WHA, DS/DSS/ITA, DS/ICI/PII, DSERCC, WHA/EX 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC, PREL, CA, US, Iraq 
SUBJECT:  ANTI-WAR PROTESTS IN HALIFAX 
 
 
1. SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - ENTIRE TEXT. 
 
2.  (SBU) AS REPORTED VIA E-MAILS OVER THE PAST WEEK, CONGEN 
HALIFAX HAS BEEN THE SITE OF THREE MAJOR (BY ATLANTIC CANADA 
STANDARDS) ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATIONS SINCE THE COMMENCEMENT OF 
HOSTILITIES IN IRAQ.  ALL THREE PROTESTS---ORGANIZED BY A 
COMBINATION OF MILITANT STUDENT GROUPS, CHURCH GROUPS, AND THE 
SELF-STYLED "HALIFAX PEACE COALITION"---TOOK THE FORM OF MARCHES 
ACROSS TOWN, ENDING UP IN FRONT OF THE OFFICE BUILDING HOUSING 
THE CONGEN.  ALL THREE TOOK PLACE WITHOUT VIOLENCE, ALTHOUGH 
DEMONSTRATORS ENGAGED IN STRONG ANTI-U.S. RHETORIC AND BURNED 
U.S. FLAGS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 
 
3. (SBU) BOTH HALIFAX REGIONAL POLICE AND THE ROYAL CANADIAN 
MOUNTED POLICE (RCMP) TRACKED THE DEMONSTRATIONS CAREFULLY AND 
PROVIDED PROTECTION TO CONGEN OFFICES, PROVIDING 20-30 UNIFORMED 
POLICE OFFERS AT EACH EVENT.  RCMP CONTACTS HAVE KEPT CG AND PSO 
INFORMED IN DETAIL OF THESE AND OTHER PLANNED PROTEST 
ACTIVITIES. 
 
4. (SBU) THE FIRST DEMONSTRATION OCCURRED AT 1400 HOURS (LOCAL) 
ON THURSDAY, MARCH 20.  APPROXIMATELY 100 PROTESTERS ARRIVED AT 
THE FRONT ENTRANCE TO THE OFFICE BUILDING (PURDYQS TOWER II) IN 
WHICH CONGEN HAS ITS NINTH-FLOOR OFFICES.  THE DEMONSTRATORS 
CHANTED, PLAYED DRUMS, AND SOUNDED AIR HORNS FOR ABOUT 25 
MINUTES BEFORE DEPARTING.  THE PROTESTERS ALSO THREW BAGS OF 
WATER-SOLUBLE PAINT AT THE FRONT ENTRANCE AREA AND DREW FIGURES 
AND GRAFFITI ON THE STREET WITH CHALK.  BUILDING MAINTENANCE 
QUICKLY CLEANED THE AREA. 
 
5. (SBU) THE SECOND DEMONSTRATION OCCURRED LATER THE SAME DAY AT 
1755 HOURS.  MORE THAN 600 PROTESTERS ARRIVED AS A GROUP AT THE 
FRONT ENTRANCE TO PURDYQS TOWER II.  THE DEMONSTRATION LASTED 
ABOUT ONE HOUR AND FEATURED SEVERAL SPEAKERS.  THE CROWD WAS 
WELL BEHAVED AND DEPARTED AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE SPEECHES. 
 
6. (SBU) THE THIRD DEMONSTRATION TOOK PLACE ON SATURDAY, MARCH 
22.  PROTESTERS ARRIVED WITH POLICE ESCORT AT THE FRONT OF 
PURDYQS TOWER II AT ABOUT 1400 HOURS.  PROTESTERS ORGANIZED BY 
THE "HALIFAX PEACE COALITION" MARCHED ACROSS TOWN CARRYING IRAQI 
FLAGS, ANTIWAR BANNERS, AND ANTI-U.S. PLACARDS.  SEVERAL 
DEMONSTRATORS BURNED A LARGE U.S. FLAG WHEN THEY ARRIVED IN 
FRONT OF THE CONSULATE.  STUDENT LEADERS, CHURCH LEADERS, AND 
MEMBERS OF THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY DELIVERED SPEECHES AND CHANTING 
SLOGANS EXCORIATING THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, IN SOME CASES USING 
FAIRLY VIRULENT LANGUAGE.  SEVERAL TV NEWS CREWS COVERED THE 
EVENT.   MEDIA REPORTS DESCRIBED THE CROWD AS NUMBERING BETWEEN 
1,000-2,000, BUT WE CONSERVATIVELY ESTIMATE THE TOTAL NUMBER AT 
CLOSER TO 600-800. 
 
7. (SBU) INDICATIONS OF A MAJOR ANTI-U.S. PROTEST AT THE CG 
RESIDENCE FORCED CONGEN HALIFAX TO CANCEL A LARGE RECEPTION WE 
WERE SCHEDULED TO HOLD THERE ON MARCH 25.  POLICE AND UNIVERSITY 
OFFICIALS WARNED US THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED CLEAR INDICATIONS 
THAT STUDENT GROUPS WERE ORGANIZING THEMSELVES TO CONDUCT A 
MAJOR PROTEST AT THE CG RESIDENCE TO DISRUPT OUR RECEPTION. 
SOME OF THE 30 LOCAL ART STUDENTS WHO WERE TO ATTEND THE 
RECEPTION AS GUESTS OF HONOR HAD BEEN THREATENED AND PRESSURED 
TO BOYCOTT THE RESIDENCE.  ON THE ADVICE OF THE RCMP, WE 
POSTPONED THE EVENT. 
 
COMMENT 
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8. (SBU) THESE DEMONSTRATIONS ARE SMALL COMPARED TO THOSE THAT 
HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN LARGER CANADIAN CITIES SUCH AS TORONTO OR 
MONTREAL, BUT SIGNIFICANT BY HALIFAX STANDARDS.  AS IS USUALLY 
THE CASE IN THE MARITIMES, THE PROTESTORS ARE CONDUCTING 
THEMSELVES IN A RESTRAINED, MOSTLY NON-VIOLENT MANNER.  THE FACT 
THAT CONGEN HALIFAX IS LOCATED IN A LARGE OFFICE BUILDING 
(CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC ON WEEKENDS) WHICH ALSO HOUSES DOZENS OF 
OTHER COMPANIES TENDS TO UNDERCUT ANY DANGER OF DIRECT ACTION 
AGAINST OUR OFFICES. WE UNDERSTAND THAT MILITANT STUDENT GROUPS 
AND THE "HALIFAX PEACE COALITION" INTEND TO ORGANIZE PROTESTS 
EVERY SATURDAY AFTERNOON IN FRONT OF THE OFFICE BUILDING HOUSING 
THE CONGEN. 
 
9. (SBU) WE ARE COORDINATING CLOSELY WITH THE RCMP, THE HALIFAX 
REGIONAL POLICE, AND OUR OWN BUILDING SECURITY PEOPLE TO 
MINIMIZE ANY RISK.  PSO HAS REVIEWED PROCEDURES WITH THE LOCAL 
CONTRACT GUARD TO CONTROL ACCESS TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE 
CONSULATEQS OFFICE SPACE.  NO PROTESTERS HAVE TARGETED THE CG 
RESIDENCE AS OF YET, BUT RCMP CONTACTS HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THE 
LOCATION OF THE RESIDENCE IS KNOWN TO LOCAL ANTI-WAR ACTIVISTS. 
KASHKETT