UPDATE: Olympic protesters are 'terrorists': Bloy
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Updated: November 03, 2009 4:44 PM
People who protest the Winter Olympics are nothing more than "terrorists" with "limited intellect," Burnaby-Lougheed Liberal MLA Harry Bloy said in the Legislature Monday.
Bloy's comments came in support of a private member's motion by Richmond Centre MLA Rob Howard to welcome the Olympic torch to British Columbia, and recognize the economic opportunity the Winter Olympics and Paralympics will bring.
According to Hansard, Bloy expressed his pride at being Canadian and British Columbian before saying of Olympic protesters: "You know, there was a disappointing factor about the Olympics. It was that 200-odd group of terrorists who came to Victoria from across Canada to interrupt the Games. Anyone who could support this group should be ashamed of themselves."
Bloy referred to protesters preventing some participants from completing their legs of the torch relay as scheduled: "For this group to take away so much from the Games, to have an opinion not shared by many where they have to gather from across Canada to try and disrupt these Games, to stop a young child or young adult with disabilities from carrying the flame—something he had been looking at doing for months since he was chosen, and he couldn't carry it in his hometown—I think is disgusting and shameful.
"They do not understand, these terrorists, the potential goodwill and economic benefits that come from these Games, because they have a limited intellect and do not understand how the world truly operates."
The NDP's 2010 Olympics critic, Kathy Corrigan, was surprised at Bloy's comments.
While she doesn't believe protesters should cross the line by doing just about anything to gain attention, Bloy's comments were "a bit over the top," said the MLA for Burnaby-Deer Lake.
"We want to do a great job and be a great showcase to the world and I think anything that inflames people is not helpful."
Corrigan was taken aback by Bloy's choice of words. "My guess is he probably regrets calling protesters 'terrorists.' I mean, I hope that's not what he thinks protesters are."
In an interview Tuesday, Bloy had no such regrets.
"Individuals that want to disrupt, intimidate and then terrorize animals and people and cause commotion, I stand by what I said."
He said he'd received three or four emails from people opposed to his comments.
"I fully support the right to peaceful protest. People have a right to express their opinion, same as I do," he said.
"But I really don't support people who use violence and intimidation to promote their agenda or to terrorize horses by throwing marbles in front of them that could've caused a stampede or an injury to a policeman or a death to somebody in the crowd," he said, referring to some protesters' actions at the torch parade in Victoria last week.
He decried the protesters' noise and commotion that "terrorized the children's choir" as they started to sing at the event and caused organizers to change the parade route.
Many participants in the torch relay got there by entering a contest or by representing a special group, he noted.
"And they've gotten there and now their once-in-a-lifetime chance to carry an Olympic torch is taken away from them? I don't believe that that's right at all."
wchow@burnabynewsleader.com
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