G20 Toronto Protests - Sunday June 27, 2010 - Mid Afternoon Update

12:48pm - police break up protest outside the Eastern Ave detention centre with batons and rubber bullets and tear gas.

Just after 1pm a bicycle rally began to gather at Spadina and Bloor

1:17pm - police are at the downtown bus terminal asking to see the ID of some of the young people leaving Toronto.

Prayer vigil at Church and King. People sitting peacefully and handing out prayers. They plan to march to the security perimeter fence on Wellington and sit and pray. So far the group is about 150 people.

By 1:20pm the bike rally at Spadina and Bloor has grown from about 50 cyclists to about 400. The bike rally heads through U of T campus.

from the Toronto Star blog:
1:53 p.m Civil Liberties group says rights violated

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association says it is concerned about the conditions of detention of those arrested in this weekend's G20 demonstrations.

Many people are being denied access to lawyers, they are unable to contact their families and the organization has heard that there are no plans for prompt release, the CCLA says.

Toronto police do not appear to be making serious attempts to provide access to lawyers or information, the group says, branding this as a serious violation of basic rights of hundreds of people.

The CCLA also questions whether the policing is proportionate to the threat.

2:16 p.m. Amnesty International wants independent inquiry

Amnesty International is asking the Canadian and Ontario governments to launch an independent review of the security measures for the G8 and G20 summits.

The international human rights groups wants the review to look at the impact of security measures, including decisions about the locations for the summits and the protection of human rights, including freedom of expression and assembly.

They also want a review of how police operations and the use of legal provisions under the Public Works Protection Act have affected the rights of thousands of people living, working and operating businesses within and near the G20 security zone.

2:58pm - Prayer group now stopped at King and Bay. All peaceful. The police are giving them space.

More from the Toronto Star blog:

2:37 p.m. Getting used to police searches

About 15 police officers stationed at the southwest corner of Queen and Bay Sts. are stopping and searching males with backpacks.

For Caleb Eisen of Welland, who is here visiting a friend, this afternoon's search was his third this weekend.

The 16-year-old says he was nervous the first time but is now used to it, and even laughed and joked with police as they went through his belongings.

He's visiting friend Samuel Ng, 19, of Toronto. Another friend, 18-year-old Marshall Biller of Fort Erie, has also been searched three times this weekend.

The trio say they haven't been involved in any protests.

Sources:
http://torontoist.com/2010/06/live_g20_sunday.php#1129AM-27

http://thestar.blogs.com/g20/