B.C. cabinet office trashed in Olympic protest

Three members of the Anti-Poverty Committee were arrested Tuesday after protesters trashed the provincial cabinet office in downtown Vancouver.

An APC spokesman said the symbolic "eviction" was aimed at Ken Dobell, an adviser to Premier Gordon Campbell and a lobbyist for the City of Vancouver, who is helping plan the 2010 Olympic Games

The action — in which furniture, vases, flags and other property were thrown into a hallway — occurred while the APC was holding a news conference at another downtown location, called to outline the group's campaign to evict senior Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee officials.

"As we speak, we are evicting Ken Dobell from his office," APC spokesman David Cunningham told the assembled reporters.

Two men and a woman were arrested in the incident.

As he was led away by officers, Thomas Malenfant promised the group would raise the stakes in confronting those profiting from the Games.

"This is going to continue to escalate, from evictions to property damage," he said, adding the APC was "doing this on behalf of our brothers and sisters in the Downtown Eastside that are getting evicted from their homes every day — not their offices, their homes."

Last week, Cunningham promised to target homes and businesses of VANOC officials as part of the committee's campaign to focus attention on housing and homelessness as Vancouver prepares to host the Games.