Banks review G20 security after Ottawa bombing
Wednesday May 19, 2010
Bruce Campion-Smith, Ottawa Bureau chief
OTTAWA – The firebombing of an Ottawa bank has stoked fears of violence at the upcoming Toronto summit of G20 leaders but police officials are vowing they’ll be ready.
Still, bank officials say they’re looking at stepping up security and may even shut down branches in Toronto’s downtown core if rowdy protesters pose a risk to staff and customers.
All this comes after the group that claimed responsibility for setting a Royal Bank of Canada branch aflame Tuesday said they’ll be taking their protest to the G8 and G20 gatherings next month.
The attack on the bank branch in the upscale Glebe neighbourhood was captured on video, which was later posted on the web along with a message that takes aim at the Royal Bank of Canada.
A group calling itself FFFC faults RBC for sponsoring the Vancouver Olympics on “stolen indigenous land” and for being a “major financier” of Alberta’s tar sands, which it calls one of the most “destructive” industrial projects in the world.
“The games in Vancouver are now over, but resistance continues. An RBC branch can be found in every corner of Kanada,” reads the message from the group.
“The G8/G20 ‘leaders’ and bankers are meeting in Huntsville and Toronto to make decisions that will further their policies of exploitation of people and the environment. We will be there,” the message reads.
Ottawa Constable Jean-Paul Vincelette confirmed the bank attack was arson but declined to say anything about the video or the claim of responsibility.
“We’re not confirming anything in regards to what’s been broadcast. It’s part of the evidence and it’s going to be looked at,” he said in an interview.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the Royal Bank said it is “doing everything to help police” catch those responsible.
“We are not going to comment on the group that has claimed responsibility or respond to the inflammatory statements of those who use violence to communicate their views,” the bank statement said, adding “we are very proud of our reputation.”
The Ottawa incident, which caused an estimated $300,000 in damage, has raised concerns that the towering bank headquarters in downtown Toronto could be a ripe target for protesters who gather for the G20 summit June 26-27.
Meaghan Gray of the Toronto Police Services said officials are hoping that protesters make their point “peacefully and responsibly.
“That being said, from a security perspective we’re obviously planning for any eventuality and any action on the part of protesters will be met with a measured response from police,” said Gray, who works with the force’s G20 planning team.
While she declined to comment on this week’s incident, she did say the G20 security team does “ongoing threat assessments.”
“Security plans for the G20 are taking into consideration any eventuality or any possible action and we’ll be prepared to respond,” Gray said.
Meanwhile, the banks have spent the last few months making their own contingency plans in preparation for being in the crosshairs of protesters.
“We’ve seen at previous G8/G20 summit protests, the vast majority of people are peaceful but there’s always a small minority that can turn violent and sometimes unfortunately the target has been either the financial services sector or just large businesses in general,” said Maura Drew-Lytle, of the Canadian Bankers Association.
She said bank officials have been meeting with the police and landlords of the downtown buildings to map out security strategies. Those include having bank staff work from home or other branches during the summit, increasing security and even closing down.
“There’s a possibility they’ll close branches at the last minute if there are security concerns. Certainly protecting any bank staff and customers is of primary importance,” she said in an interview.
