Police State Solution G20 G8 Summit
June 28th and updated June 29th
The preparations for the summit follow the classic Problem-Reaction-Solution model. They create a problem: Holding a summit downtown Toronto, hiring riot squads, swat teams, military, give them secret arrest powers, put up fences, create ridiculous free speech zones, spend over a billion dollars on security protecting the elite with our tax dollars. Then people react in protest, they take to the streets. Then they (the government) claim to provide the solution. They arrest over 900 people and the barriers to keep the global government safe were not breeched.
On the television news shows I watched reporters praise the police and military for showing so much restraint on the protestors. They were also given much positive coverage for their secret arrests. It is disappointing to me that the arrests and detention of over 900 people is considered restraint. Especially considering that the vast majority of these people were only peacefully protesting. I also read news articles about many innocent people being arrested, having their civil rights violated, and women being strip searched by Male police officers.
I really wanted to go the summit. I felt compelled to stand with the people and have our voices heard. However I am glad I didn’t’. I would not have provided identification when asked by officers and thusly would have been arrested. Canadians were not legally required to do so until this past weekend. Police officers were granted “secret arrest powers” which would have made me a criminal suspect just because I didn’t show I.D. Then I would have been arrested and strip searched. This is quite a deterrent for me for future protest as it seems more like Nazi Germany than the Canada I know. When I attended Dump Site 41 protest there were very few police and they remained in the background.
Further I watched a lot of coverage on City TV, CTV and CBS which announced the weekend’s property damage over and again as the worst violence Toronto has ever seen. I watched and read, and watched and read waiting to hear about the violence. They mentioned smashed windows and burned cars over and over again. While this is property damage it is not my idea of violence. I did scour sites for news articles on injured police but there were none
Media mentioning the word violence over and over again gives the impression that police were being injured and attacked and this is why they were arresting people. However for the vast majority it was actually due to new Canadian laws for secret arrests. We were no longer able to peacefully protest on a soap box and gather together to protest unless we are in a designated zone. (Even in designated zone people were arrested). We must provide valid I.D. or be arrested. The government gives many reasons for this such as less property damage, and protecting the people. This secret arrest power will expire soon, however it is likely they will reactivate when needed for future events.
Many Canadians see these actions by government as an erosion of our freedom of speech. These so called “violent” actions by protesters or “people dressed in black” will no doubt give cause for even tighter security going forward. Apparently the problem as we are supposed to see it is that the protesters are the problem, and the solution is to create a police state environment.
Where were the police when the cars burned?
During the G20 the police were following the special training they were given, and they were following orders. I have family that are police officers and some of them were there working. I do not blame the police or hold them responsible. It is curious that while peaceful protesters were arrested in mass the Black Bloc mob were allowed unchallenged to rampage through the city, intimidate citizens (who were trying to stop them), and smashing store windows.
Where were the riot police we spent a billion dollars for when people were permitted to burn police cars? Possibly this was allowed to occur to make a nice case for the money they spent? They may have even used police provocateurs to create a reason for their solution. Canadian police have been caught doing this before in a protest based in Ottawa. And Quebec. These are post 911 times which seems to have changed the way law enforcement are used. These wars which were supposed to bring freedom to the Middle Eastern states of Iraq and Afghanistan have actually seemingly caused an erosion of our rights and freedoms. This is all in the name of fighting terror. )
CAUTION-SOME OF THE FOLLOWING VIDEOS CONTAIN SCENES OF VIOLENCE AND COURSE LANGUAGE
Violent Protest or Agent Provocateurs? Toronto G8-G20
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Unmarked caravans and plain cloths police officers snatch and grab peaceful protestors.
Rough treatment of seemingly peaceful protesters by police
More arrests of seemingly peaceful protesters
Peaceful seated protestor with Top Hat arrested, crowd shocked
Peaceful protestor gets too close to police and is arrested
Photojournalist follows Black Bloc witnesses police do nothing as Black Bloc Rampages through city
Riot Police Back Away from 2 police cars and allow them to be destroyed
Riot police retreat from 2 police cars and allow them to be destroyed
Police do not engage Black Bloc as they smash windows and destroy police cars
Black Bloc Intimidates Canadians and no one there to help them!