The Vancouver Sun from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • 12

A12 THR VANCOUVER SUN, SATURDAY, JULY 29, 2000 OFF THE FRONT. SPYING from Al Burnaby MP calls for inquiry into spying designed to disrupt the work of the conference and the cam4 not surprised by the infiltration of the movement by Canada's spy agency. "Any progressive democratic organization has been infiltrated by CSIS over the years," Crowther charged. "But it is always disconcerting to hear that these things are going on." Kennedy found the level of paranoia exhibited by the unidentified authors of the memos and reports bizarre. "I think they just sat down and dreamed this stuff up." Agents seemed to know about differences over the use of civil disobedience and also had detailed information out of a national peace conference in Winnipeg at which a national peace caravan was planned.

"The success of the petition and caravan programs however will depend on whether efficient organizations can be formed at the local level and "our operational interests begin and end with organizations that use violence or the threat of violence." He said CSIS reviewed all the files that were sent over by the RCMP when CSIS took over national intelligence gathering a review that took years. Thousands of files were then sent to the national archives. "What was sent to the archives were inactive files," Gibson said. End the Arms Race was founded in 1982 at the height of public fears over nuclear weapons and political controversy in Canada over Cruise missile testing. Frank Kennedy, who called the first meeting when he was president of the Vancouver and District Labour Council, said EAR never advocated violence or subversion.

"What CSIS and the RCMP were doing, that was subversive," said Kennedy. "I think the general population of Canada should be outraged that anyone is being spied on like that." In its heyday, EAR worked with Vancouver city council and dozens of affiliates to organize the annual peace march, which attracted tens of thou- "The work we have undertaken since our inception in the early 1980s is legal and legitimate political advocacy," Coombes said in the letter, to which MacAulay has yet to reply. "All of our activities have been publicized and all of our records are available for public scrutiny." Burnaby New Democratic MP Svend Robinson said he would take the matter up with the solicitor-general and with the watchdog organization that oversees CSIS. He also called for a public inquiry. Robinson said he was aware the RCMP's spy branch was in-filtrating unions and peace groups before 1984, but the practice was supposed to stop when CSIS took over that year.

The fact the files released show monitoring into 1987 is an indication that CSIS was violating its mandate, Robinson said. "If they were spying on peace groups like End the Arms Race after 1984, that was clearly illegal in terms of the act," Robinson said. "Wherever on earth were the watchdogs?" CSIS spokesman Phil Gibson said Friday that while he couldn't comment specifically on End the Arms Race, generally paign. The spies also collected media reports and pieces of literature produced by End the Arms Race. Included in the files is a draft ad EAR was purchasing in The Vancouver Sun, as well as rough copies of leaflets that were to be produced.

The information indicates government agents were covertly attending even small meetings of organizing committees, Coombes said. None of the material produced by EAR and contained in the released files suggests any violence or proposed illegal ac tivity. In fact, the spies themselves wrote in several reports that violence was not expected at demonstrations and marches EAR was organizing. Coombes said the files prove the government spies did not have the ability to distinguish between legal political dissent and subversive or violent activity. "It confirms to all of us that there is a political agenda and i that the government used subversive means to undermine legitimate political dissent." whether foot soldiers will materialize," a memo said.

"Despite the ambitious rhetoric, the campaign might very well fall on its face." Also from the convention were notes about a person who was "red baiting" "(Blanked out name) had the distinct smell of Trotskite (sic) tactics CRAIG HODGEVancouver Sun SPIED ON: Frank Kennedy and Peter Coombes, involved in End the Arms Race, look at documents showing they were spied oa sands. Crowther recalled Friday. "We were very successful. Crowther, an official with the Vancouver became the peace Canadian Auto Workers and an capital of the world," Roger EAR board member, said he's Security files kept on more than 300 peace groups able." Sanders' group is urging peace organizations to make requests to the federal government for the files so more can be known about how much spying was going on at the time. 1 The list from the National Archives includes dozens of local groups, such as the B.C.

Peace Council, Greenpeace and students groups connected to Simon Fraser University and the University of B.G Peter Coombes, End the Arms Race's national coordinator, said the list shows the lengths to which Canadian security agencies went to keep tabs on the peace movement. "They must have had a network of hundreds, if not thousands, of infor-1 more than 200 pages of secret government documents released under freedom of information legislation. "I never lived under any illusions at the time that someone wasn't reporting to Big Brother," Kennedy said. "They were spying on some of the most responsible organizations within the city." According to a list available in the National Archives, the RCMP had secret files on more than 300 peace groups until 1984, when the Canadian Security Intelligence Service took over. "It is very hard to know why they were monitoring so many," said Richard Sanders, of the Ottawa-based Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade.

"It is quite bizarre. It is an extraordinary number of groups. It is inexcus The list from the National Archives includes dozens of local groups such as Greenpeace. By KIM BOLAN Retired and 72, Frank Kennedy still has trouble when he wants to visit the United States. "I have to have a special pass to go," the long-time political activist and labour leader said this week.

Kennedy thinks the U.S. response to him might have something to do with Canadian security forces sharing files on his political activities with their U.S. counterparts. A founder of the peace group, End the Arms Race, and Vancouver's Coalition of Progressive Electors civic party, Kennedy's work in the peace movement is referenced repeatedly in II DM mants." FEED THE FOOD BANK The Benson Hedges Symphony of Fire is pleased to support the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society, with "The Sky's the Limit Food Bank Every night of the Benson Hedges Symphony of Fire, spectators are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items down to English Bay and Kits Beach, where donations will be collected by volunteers at the Kokanee Mountain Patrol vans. We're making dangerous drivers see red VV WEST END restricted vehicle 5 access July 29, I m-m 5 I7 KITS POINT YA'Sj-N 70 restricted vehicle y- )C access Jury 29, Augusta, 5, 9 ffiv itw 6- 11:30 pm.

A Entry Point CORNWALL yty' 4TH AVE. and continue through it, will be photographed. Otherwise, the cameras will not be triggered. Cameras at initial test sites recorded a significant drop in the number of red-light violators in just the first few weeks of operation. Sites for cameras in your community are being selected by your local police department Cameras will be operational in 25 communities province-wide by the end of next year.

Drivers who run red lights pose a threat to public safety. That's why the Intersection Safety Camera program was started. The goaf is to reduce crashes, deaths, injuries, property damage and social costs. Violation tickets in the amount of $144 will be issued to registered owners of vehicles that travel through red lights. Only vehicles that enter the intersection after the light turns red JULY 29, MUST Road closures wiD be in effect the nights of the fireworks competition, in co-operation with the City of Vancouver and for the benefit of West End and Kits Point residents.

Please note that The West End and Kits Point will be closed to non-resident traffic. (See map). Residents of the West End and Kits Point areas will be permitted to enter the areas through designated entry points, i they provide'proof of Public transit vehicles will be permitted access during the closure hours. To reduce traffic congestion, we urge spectators to travel by Translink, For information on transit schedules during the competitions, please call 521-0400. And once again, let's keep our beaches and streets clean.

Let's all "pitch in!" For more irrformation, call the Vancouver Fireworks Society at (604 738-4304. rh Integrated Traffic HI Camera Unit Focused on saving lives. British Columbia NEW CAMERA SITES: Maple Ridge Route 7 (Lougheed Highway) at Laity Street Pitt Meadows Route 7 (Lougheed Highway) at Harris Road Richmond Steveston at No. 4 Road Vancouver- East Hastings at Renfrew Street liL i.