Sunday 27 June 2010

G20 Toronto Protests - Sunday June 27, 2010 - Evening Update

Boxed in at Queen & Spadina
The last day of the G20, protesters ended up at Queen and Spadina. Soon after stopping the crowd police boxed them in and began grabbing them out 1 by 1 to arrest people. They were standing there peacefully, I'm not sure what the police's plan is.

Peaceful G20 Protest at Queen & Spadina
Sunday evening. Video. You now have to sign in to YouTube to see this video. This incident happened shortly before the above story, Boxed In at Queen & Spadina.
Peaceful protesters sang the Canadian National Anthem. As soon as they were done, the police attacked them.

After being boxed in, about 100 police arrested the 50 remaining protesters, passers-by, and anyone else who was caught in the cordon. (Toronto Star blog)

CBC News 6pm: G20 arrest tally hits 562

CBC News 9:33pm: G20 crowds, police engage in standoffs
Arrests now at 604
Arrests in Parkdale: About 80 people were detained and some were seen being strip-searched in front of Parkdale Community Legal Services on Queen Street West. About 40 of them had been preparing to board a bus bound for Quebec when the police surrounded them, freelance journalist Rebecca Granofvsky-Larsen told CBC News.

Globe & Mail: Activists decry arrests at peaceful march

CBC Blog:
From CBC's Amber Hildebrandt:

Twelve. That's the number of times Mike and James say they've been stopped
by police in the streets of downtown Toronto today.

When I caught up with them, a gaggle of police officers surrounded James north of the Queen St. W. and Soho corner. He was stuffing items back into his bag just as the latest round of cops asked to see what he had with him. "I just got searched!" he said.

Among the areas where the pair were searched Sunday: University, King, Adelaide, Bay and Wellington. "Just everytime we run into a group of officers," said James.

The police, they said, told them why they were being searched: both of
them were wearing black clothing, the uniform of choice for the Black Bloc.

"It's definitely no fun," said Mike, who didn't want to give his name. "I
personally think it's an invasion of privacy."


Toronto Star Blog:

8:45 p.m. Five observers from Canadian Civil Liberties Association arrested

Five observers from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have been arrested this weekend.

The four men and one woman are volunteers, trained to take notes to document both police and protesters’ behaviours at the demonstrations during the G20 Summit, said Nathalie Des Rosiers, the general counsel for the Association.

Des Rosiers said that the first two observers were arrested on Saturday night in front of the Novotel hotel on the Esplanade when a peaceful protest turned into a mass arrest. The other three were arrested late Sunday afternoon at the Queen St. W. and Spadina Ave. standoff.

“We are quite distressed by these arrests,” said Des Rosiers.

All were wearing their white uniform, including a white hat with CCLA on it. They also have cards identifying them as impartial onlookers, said Des Rosiers, who confirmed that the Integrated Security Unit is aware of the observers’ presence at the protests.

“We have no idea what they have been charged with,” said Des Rosiers. “And that’s the concern.”

One of the observers was released after being detained for 16 hours. “He is still in shock,” said Des Rosiers, who added that he described his experience as chaotic. He also told her that the cages at the detention centre were full of garbage.

Similar monitors were dispatched at the Vancouver Olympics to watch over the protests there – none of those observers were arrested, said Des Rosiers

Torontoist Blog:
9:22 PM: Two of the National Post's photographers—Brett Gundlock and Colin O'Connor—were arrested and in custody for twenty-four hours, including an overnight stay at Eastern Avenue's temporary detention centre. The Post has more, including photos of Gundlock as he was tackled by police officers.

National Post - Posted Toronto: Post photographers spend night in detention centre


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