Seal hunt protesters disrupt House
Last Updated: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 | 7:51 PM ET
CBC News
Three people dressed as nuns protesting against Canada's seal hunt interrupted question period at the House of Commons on Wednesday and had to be removed from the chamber.
Liberal MP Dominic LeBlanc was on his feet preparing to ask a question at the start of the session when the protestors held up signs and shouted "Ban the seal slaughter."
The protestors were in the visitors' gallery of the House of Commons, an area monitored by security guards. But the guards did not immediately intervene. Instead, during the commotion, Conservative Quebec MP Steven Blaney stood up, holding up a sealskin folder, prompting a rare display of solidarity from the Opposition.
Newfoundland Liberal MP Gerry Byrne crossed the floor to the Conservative side and offered his congratulations to Blaney as other MPs cheered. Only then did security remove the protestors.
One Conservative MP from Manitoba laughed off the protest, saying, "Someone said one of them was Mac Harb," referring to the Liberal senator who's been an outspoken critic of the seal hunt.
But not everyone was amused. Some MPs were upset guards didn't immediately restrain the protestors but watched them from their positions for at least a minute.
Dressed as a bloodied seal, Katie Arth of Washington lies handcuffed on the pavement outside the Canadian Embassy after being arrested by Secret Service police in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press) "All MPs are talking about lack of security and how ill-prepared security was in reacting," one Liberal MP told CBC News.
LeBlanc later told reporters that he was satisfied with how security responded.
"I certainly saw the security remove the disturbance from the gallery,'' he said.
Colette Dery, a spokesperson for the Speaker of the House of Commons said, security assured her that "when they saw the disturbance, they removed the people."
"Security was doing what they were supposed to do," she said.
But Dery could not explain why it took so long to remove the protesters, adding that she is looking into it further.
The protest came the same day that three animal rights activists protesting seal hunting were arrested in front of the Canadian embassy in Washington. Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in the city Wednesday to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama.
The women, who were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct, unlawful assembly and failure to obey, wore white seal costumes streaked in red paint to represent blood.
The protesters crawled onto Pennsylvania Avenue and blocked traffic. When they refused to move, police officers removed their masks, handcuffed them and carried them to the sidewalk.
About 15 other activists stood nearby holding signs asking Harper to "stop the seal slaughter."
With files from Krista Erickson and The Associated Press
