Monday 28 June 2010

G20 Toronto Protests - Questions that need to be asked and answered

There most definitely needs to be an inquiry into the events of the weekend. After closely following the events of the weekend some things become very apparent - that reason took a vacation. Vandals had free reign while peaceful people were attacked and arrested.

From hundreds of eyewitness accounts and videos and photos we know that:
- Hundreds of innocent peaceful protesters, as well as passers-by, clearly marked impartial observers, and a number of journalists were arrested and detained
- Many of those detained were treated inhumanely during their detention
- Hundreds of innocent peaceful protesters were attacked and beaten by police
- A few organized masked and black-clad people managed to vandalize store-fronts, police cruisers and set fire to some police cruisers while the police did nothing to stop any of this.
- The burning police cars: At least the first one, was allowed to burn for at least 20 minutes before the fire was put out. Photos and videos showed that there was no reason that police or firemen could not have dealt with the fire right away.

Questions
- Were the black masked vandals undercover police or people organized by the police? If not, why were they allowed to vandalize, while peaceful protesters were attacked, arrested and detained? If they were undercover police or people organized by the police, and this is found out, will the MSM report this and will we direct our police to not do this again?
- Why were the police directed to allow the vandalism to occur?
- Why were the police directed to allow police cars to remain burning when the fires could have been put out and no one was keeping them from getting to the cars, and the burning cars were a potential safety hazard as they had gasoline in them? Or, were the cars planted in place with fuel drained from them so they would not be so hazardous?
- Why were the police directed to brutally attack and arrest hundreds of innocent peaceful protesters?
- Why were the police directed to brutally attack and arrest journalists?
- Why were the police directed to arrest uniformed CCLA observers?
- Why were the police directed to not allow people detained phone calls or water or to go to the bathroom?
- Why were so many police called in from all over the country, when, it is obvious from past evidence of protests, and from the evidence of the day, that a normal amount of police could have dealt with the few violent protesters (were they so directed to do so), and ensured safety around/amongst the thousands of peaceful protesters?

I have nothing against the police. The individual officers on the street were following orders. What concerns me is whoever was directing the police actions and why they made the decisions they did to do what was done (or not done). Also, did the host of the G20, the Harper government, have anything to do with the decisions of direction of the security forces over the weekend? Remember Mike Harris and Ipperwash? Did something like that play out here in Toronto over the weekend? Did those responsible for directing the security forces follow suggestions from Stephen Harper or someone from his office or someone from his government?

I'm not seeing any of these questions in the MSM. Why are they not asking these questions?

I'll leave you with a very disturbing video - peaceful protesters on Sunday evening, stood and sang our national anthem on Queen Street near Spadina Ave. As soon as they were done, the police attacked them.

UPDATE
I've discovered that the RCMP were responsible for the security inside the Summit security perimeter and that the Toronto Police were responsible for the security forces outside the perimeter. So, the police in question above were under the authority of police chief Bill Blair. So, he has some questions to answer. But so far, all he is saying is that if there was any wrongdoing, it will be looked into - just follow the proper channels to lodge a complaint.

We need some organization to help facilitate this process for all those who were brutalized and detained, and who had their legal rights violated in the arrest process and while being detained.

We might start by asking questions of our city councillors, especially if they sit on the Police Services Board.

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