The Pivot Legal Society and the BC Civil Liberties Association say they鈥檝e launched three complaints against the Vancouver Police Department alleging illegal surveillance and police brutality against pro-Palestine protesters.

The association and the society say the complaints stem from the 鈥渧iolent dispersal鈥� of protesters who demonstrated at a Vancouver rail crossing in May.

In a statement, the groups say the two 鈥渟ervice and policy鈥� complaints to the Vancouver Police Board involve police actions against 鈥減ro-Palestine demonstrators,鈥� where they were allegedly met with 鈥渆xtensive forms of policing violence鈥� and unlawful surveillance tactics through the use of police drones and officer smartphones.

They say another complaint to the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner involves VPD Const. Dimitri Sheinerman, who is facing a Police Act investigation after he was photographed with an Israeli flag patch on his uniform with a 鈥減unisher鈥� skull.

The groups say the police force has 鈥渁llowed anti-Palestinian racism to persist within its ranks,鈥� and actions against demonstrators have violated their Charter rights to freedom of expression.

Meghan McDermott, BC Civil Liberties Association policy director, says there have been 鈥渟ystemic rights violations鈥� against people demonstrating for Palestinian human rights due to police bias and 鈥渦ndemocratic practices.鈥�

The Vancouver Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the complaints.