Military helicopters and police emergency response teams were mobilized yesterday after a plane full of deviant protesters invaded restricted Olympic airspace.
While the heavy equipment was real, the scenario at Pitt Meadows airport wasn't. It was the latest security exercise by the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit.
"We often say we prepare for the worst and hope for the best, but we're not in a position where we can stand back," said V2010 ISU spokesperson Cpl. Bert Paquet. "Exercises like this are a good chance for us to utilize the resources we have here."
The drill involved military aircraft forcing an unauthorized airplane to land.
ERT officers then had to deal with the group of "protesters" handcuffing themselves to a fence.
On a day when Vancouver police made it loud and clear they would not impede lawful public protests during the Olympics, the ISU exercise showed what might greet more extreme dissenters.
"The situation we were responding to was a criminal offence," Paquet said. "That allows us to practice security and enhance safety for everybody."
> Dispelling fears
Vancouver police have vowed to be respectful masters of their domain.
Amid "ridiculous" allegations of police-enforced protest zones and sign seizures during the Olympic games, VPD chief Jim Chu addressed media yesterday to dispel those notions.
"Opponents to the Games, police critics and hopefully well-meaning journalists have all painted a dire picture," Chu said. "I am asking everyone ... to please stop. The scenarios you describe, sometimes simply in an effort to generate fear and conflict, are becoming ridiculous."
Vancouver police are responsible for policing the city outside the Olympic venues (known as the Urban Domain) and Chu said protests and public displays of free speech won't be impeded.
