Protesters drive up Olympic crime rate

Violent crime in Vancouver has spiked 17 per cent since the start of the Winter Olympics but it's almost entirely due to anti-Games protests that marked the Olympics' first two days, police say.

There were 11 assaults on police officers between Feb. 12 and Wednesday, compared with none for the same period last year, Vancouver police Const. Lindsey Houghton said Thursday.

Houghton said almost all were connected with an anti-Olympics march that coincided with the opening ceremony and a vandalism spree by masked protesters the following day.

Police laid assault charges Thursday against a man related to the Feb. 12 march, bringing to six the number of demonstrators charged.

Total police calls rose and reports of public disturbances were up as downtown Vancouver hosted thousands of Olympic revellers, Houghton said.

Property crime dropped 16 per cent, with thefts from cars down and break-ins to businesses cut almost in half.