How I Got Arrested and Abused at the G20 in Toronto, Canada
(Editor’s note: On Tuesday, June 29th, 2010, Toronto resident Tommy Taylor published, on his facebook page (log-in required), an extraordinary account of being arrested and caged at the G20 for 23 hours. At the time of his arrest, he and his girlfriend were watching a group of peaceful protestors, and had joined in when they [...]
G20: Thought the phony arrests were over? Not for Charlie Veitch.
By Frank Moher
Charlie Veitch, one of the first activists arrested at the G20 in Toronto, was arrested a second time on Tuesday as he attempted to catch a plane home to England. According to a Toronto Police Service media release (pdf) issued on Tuesday night, Veitch has been charged with impersonating a police officer.
It [...]
G20: Why didn’t police stop the Black Bloc?
By Alison@Creekside
A photojournalist followed and filmed 75 to 100 Black Bloc for 90 minutes and 24 blocks as they rampaged through the streets of Toronto smashing windows and torching police cars while police looked calmly on from several different locations:
Why was this rampage allowed to happen? Police say they had already infiltrated a Black Bloc [...]
The G20: were the burning police cars bait cars?
By Alison@Creekside
Video to left: Protesters amuse themselves playing with the sirens and lights in two police cruisers inexplicably driven into the crowd and then abandoned in the middle of the street. Calling in to dispatch, making airplane noises on the mike for the crowd, and handing out tickets — it’s all rather jovial.
Kid lights a [...]
Widespread police misbehaviour, illegal activity at G20
By Frank Moher
While mainstream news coverage of the G20 was dominated on Saturday by footage of burning police cars and vandals smashing windows, video of police misbehaviour, breaches of law, and plain old abuse emerged overnight on the internet. I’ve gathered some of it below.
For a more complete picture of the G20 than you’re liable [...]
Above the yellow zone: the secretary’s diaries
By Tara Hughes
Our office stretches high above King and University, one block north of the G20 cage.
Friday Jun 18th: The Company transfers all staff to the Mississauga office for the week of the G20. They decamp this afternoon, couriering computers amidst grumbling and moaning.
As the only part-time employee, I do not go with them. If I [...]
The G20: A Charter-free zone
By Alison@Creekside
The G8 Free Speech Farm — only a short, leisurely eight kilometer hike from the G8 site..
Meanwhile at the G20 downtown, the government of Ontario has designated the sidewalks and public spaces five meters from the security fence a Charter-free zone.
How’s your legalese?
A guard or peace officer,
(a) may require any person entering or attempting [...]
Goldman Sachs McGuinty
By Alison@Creekside
Ish Theilheimer at Straight Goods wonders why there has been no public outcry about McGuinty’s decision to hire Goldman Sachs to come up with a privatization blueprint for 49% of Hydro One, Ontario Power Generation, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.
The LCBO, OLG, Hydro One and OPG [...]
Harper and the coalition of sharks
By guest blogger Frank Moher
One thing of which you can be certain: if you’re a western Canadian prime minister, they will eventually try to get rid of you. They, of course, being the central Canadian political operatives and parties who regard it as their congenital right to run the country.
It happened to Diefenbaker, it happened [...]
Why we don’t vote
Because of our ridiculous and highly undemocratic first-past-the-post system, the party that most Canadians do not want is forming a government. According to Fair Vote Canada, this stupid, stupid system wasted millions of votes, distorted results, severely punished large blocks of voters, exaggerated regional differences, created an unrepresentative Parliament and contributed to a record low [...]
