Agent provocateurs

How often do you hear items like this on the evening news? “Violence broke out at a demonstration today as stones were thrown. The police intervened to break up the demonstration.”

Being rather cynical I have always wondered if any of the stone throwing demonstrators were, in fact, policemen acting as agent provocateurs. Until now there has not been any proof that police have acted in this way. Now there is.

“Three supposed protesters in Montebello, Canada during the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America were accused of being police provocateurs August 20th by Dave Coles, president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada. The entire incident was filmed and posted on YouTube before being picked up by mainstream media.

The video shows three masked men, one of whom was armed with a large rock, being confronted by peaceful protesters. One of the masked men spoke to police officers, and then all three pretended to breach the police line and were 'arrested.' Photographs revealed that their boot-tread matched that of the arresting officers. Although they at first denied that the individuals in question were agents provocateurs, Sûreté du Québec issued a news release on August 23 admitting that they these three protesters were, in fact, police officers.” Wikipedia

I watched the video taken at the demonstration and I believe the three goons were intending to act as agent provocateurs until they were outed by legitimate demonstrators.

The Sûreté du Québec issued a press statement which admitted that the three men were undercover officers, but rather stupidly went on to try and put a favorable spin on the matter.

"At no time did the police of the Sûreté du Québec act as instigators or commit criminal acts," the police force said in French in a news release. "It is not in the police force's policies, nor in its strategies, to act in that manner.

"At all times, they responded within their mandate to keep order and security."
Police said the three undercover officers were only at the protest to locate and identify non-peaceful protesters in order to prevent any incidents.” CBC

Apparently the police press release states that, "Les policiers ont été repérés par les manifestants au moment où ils ont refusé de lancer des projectiles [The police officers were located by the demonstrators when they refused to launch projectiles.]."

That is a untrue. The video clearly shows the three police officers holding stones, and being told to put them down by other demonstrators. I think the intention of the three police agent provocateurs was to thrown their stones at the riot police, so that the police could then disperse the demonstration.

This is a disgraceful episode. The head of the Sûreté du Québec needs to resign, and if he does not he needs to be sacked. The behaviour of the police was not only dishonest but stupid. It is a mistake to lie when there is video on YouTube proving you are a liar. Have these idiots never heard of the internet and YouTube?

Another consequence of the Sûreté du Québec’s action is that some people at least are going to be more skeptical when the media reports violence has occurred at a demonstration. They are going to wonder if that demonstration was not initiated by the local secret police. In one sense the incident has been useful. It will now be possible to prove that police have used agent provocateurs to try and interfere with legitimate demonstrations.