In the ring: PMO vs. NDP

During Power & Politics with Evan Solomon, we got word from our colleague Eric Rankin at CBC Vancouver that about 100 protesters swarmed the city's Chinese Cultural Centre, where Prime Minister Stephen Harper was scheduled to attend a rehearsal of a Chinese new year performance.
 
Rankin, who was at the centre, told us the protesters had closed off the main entrances with gaffer tape and bicycle chains in order to prevent the prime minister from attending the rehearsal.
 
Rankin said the protesters were trying to draw attention to the Harper government's opposition to Vancouver's safe injection site, Insite, and the government's plan to ask the Supreme Court of Canada to overturn a B.C. ruling that allowed Insite to remain open.
 
The prime minister's spokesperson, Dimitri Soudas, said the people behind this were part of the "Libby Davies welcoming committee" for Harper and they posed a serious security risk to those inside the centre.
 
Davies, the NDP deputy leader and the MP for Vancouver East, the riding where Insite is located, denied having any part in organizing the protest.
 
We got them both on the line from Vancouver -- click here for their heated exchange.