Police searches for alcohol conducted during the HSBC Celebration of Light have prompted the B.C. Civil Liberties Association to file a complaint.
A man who witnessed Vancouver police officers searching people during the opening night of the fireworks approached the BCCLA.
Jesse Lobdell, the caseworker handling the complaint, said the officers’ actions are similar to the illegal searches conducted by Victoria police and RCMP on Canada Day 2008.
“There was a report done by the commission for public complaints against the RCMP and they found it to be grossly unlawful,” said Lobdell.
“It didn’t’ pass common law, it didn’t pass the charter, it wasn’t authorized by any legislation in B.C.”
