G20

All weekend I felt myself wanting to be glued to a blackberry or iphone in order to get the latest on where the protests where happening, what was happening, and where things were headed. The speed and potential of services such as Twitter, especially over a G20 weekend had turned me away from my usual anti-latest technology into a person who feels they would really benefit from such an application on a new phone. Luckily so many around me were Tweeting that I was able to catch up on the latest occurrences through others.

This weekend's events were some of the most disgraceful I have ever witnessed in this country. And as a therapeutic measure, I felt the desire to write down my thoughts of my experiences and hopefully share them with others who are still out of the loop or have been mislead by biased media coverage. And so, although this doesn't have much to do with my actual topic (although it will tie in because of my strong desires and 'need' to stay updated over Twitter over this entire process), I would like to post up a note that I have written about my G20 experience. Here it is....

The past 72 hours have represented one of the most disgraceful scenes our city has ever witnessed. Toronto, Ontario was host to the latest G20 gathering, an event that was already gathering mass criticism for the over $1.2 billion that was spent to ensure the ‘safety’ of the world’s leaders and of our city’s people. What resulted was the full use of those hired forces, to the most disgraceful measures I have ever witnessed or ever want to witness on Canadian soil. We are a country of peaceful citizens, mobilizing on rare occasions to protest any given cause. We are not a nation of unruly, violent people, seeking to instigate violence in any form.





What happened this weekend was horrendous. What started as a peaceful march with upwards of 25,000 protestors depicting various causes, soon turned into what police and the media have claimed to be ‘anarchy’ and ‘chaos’. What was this referring to? A group of radicalists called the ‘Black Bloc’ which tore through Queen and Younge street smashing up windows of large corporations. Amongst them, and following in curiosity were other protesters and bystanders who although kept a safe distance, did not appear to feel any threat of human violence from this group’s members. Police cruisers were also targeted (and some say planted) as they were set on fire and smashed along the way. This scene would become the justification the government and security forces needed for the security bill our country would soon face after all this was over.

Protestors continued to gather in all parts of the city, surprised at the violence displayed in the city centre, yet standing in solidarity for the causes they came out to support. Hearing of pockets of violence and police confrontations around the city core, many decided to make their way back to the designated protesting and free speech zone at Queen’s Park. What appeared to be a safe option had soon turned for the worse. Riot police formed lines together with those on horses in front of a small group of protesters. Most were sitting on the lawn, eating sandwiches, some even sleeping on the edge. Yet, we seemed threatening to police. Suddenly, crowds of people were running for their lives, and so were we. Riot police had decided to charge into the crowds including those on horses, not afraid to knock people over as they strode. People reacted and fell back to the further end of the park. Yet, that wasn’t sufficient enough for police, who brought in bus loads of reinforcements to thicken the lines facing the now severely outnumbered protesters. And with sudden bursts, they charged, and we retreated. Every time, spotting our next point of refuge, a tree, or perhaps a stone statue that could block an incoming rubber bullet or baton from the line. We were scared, yet wanted to stand strong with the others since it was our democratic right to protest. After all, we were in the officially designed ‘protest zone’. I don’t know what triggered them to want us to leave, but few by few, more riot police pushed back the small crowds to side streets and around the other side of the park, forming a blockade around entire Queen’s Park. Where did they want us to go? We were told to stay in this zone, yet we were now being forced out of it.

That night came word that a large crowd of staff and supporters sat peacefully outside Novotel hotel, quietly, holding out peace signs towards police. Soon, they were surrounded, cops on all corners telling them to leave or they would be arrested. But there was no way out. Those that tried to leave would be mistaken as making an attack on the officials and would surely be taken down forcefully. So they sat. And one by one were pulled out of the crowd to be questioned and arrested. Hundreds of peaceful protesters would join the detention centre’s prisoners that night.

The next morning, a small group of protesters gathered in a park nearby the Detention Centre. We would march peacefully to the centre, and stand outside the facility, cheering on the release of those who had been detained for no apparent reason the night before. Our goal was to support freed detainees and provide them with water and food once they had been let out. And so was the case. Police escorted us to the site and blocked off streets so we could get by. We stood with a man playing base guitar, singing songs and cheering loudly when a new ‘prisoner’ had been released. But suddenly something changed. Two vans emerged from behind the line of police and we were being charged at. I dropped my bike amidst the crowd, feeling bad that it had become an obstacle for protesters trying to flee forceful police attacks, but I was too fearful to retrieve it. The cops began yelling and telling us to go back, yet had blocked our path in that direction. I saw my bike being thrown by a cop and hoped that it would still be there when I decided it would be safe enough to go back later in the day. We began chanting ‘peaceful protest’ and ‘we are peaceful, how ‘bout you’ to the line of police intimidatingly starring us down. And soon, reinforcements came (what exactly they were reinforcing was unclear). Some even sat on the ground, we joined. We held out our hands in peace signs to showcase that we were not there to cause trouble, but to support those who were being released. Yet something triggered another rampage of police force and we were pushed further up the street. The crowd dispersed, yet saddened organizers pleaded for us to stick together as they watched their peaceful protest falling apart. We fell back and continued to observe the line encroaching on us. Then, the artillery emerged. Two cops stepped in front of line, holding up large guns and fired shots into the crowds. We continued running. Looking ahead, a squat team had formed a line ahead. I was fearful that we’d all be surrounded and arrested one by one, as had been the case a few times in the past 12 hours. We held up our hands in a showcase of peace and stepped off onto the road, where we all dispersed.

We ducked into a convenience store to wait it out, so that we could go back to retrieve our bikes. Half hour later, we figured the area should be safe and made our way back. Luckily our bikes were there. Parts missing and a little scratched up, but still present none the less. We were happy that major news stations had been there with us, filming the attacks. Hopefully viewers would recognize that the level of force police were using was completely unnecessary.

Unfortunately I had to go to work and so left early. Yet I continued to play back the images in my mind. I was and am still so frustrated about the accounts of the weekend and continued to hear about new attacks and police encroachments as I served customers. That night, I was happy to see that many people had posted videos of what had happened. Pedestrian accounts of uncalled violence by police who were hired to ‘protect us’. Perhaps one of the most striking videos was one taken by an onlooker at birds eye view of protestors singing Oh Canada to a group of riot police. When they finished, a few began to sit down, backs facing the police, and for no apparent reason, the police charged. It is videos like these that make me more frustrated about the weekend’s events. How can police say that their use of force and tactics were appropriate and called for when we see videos that showcase attacks on peaceful protesters? It is despicable and insulting. I hope that people will continue to press for answers in the reasoning behind these attacks and use of unnecessary force by police officers. Justifying $1.2 billion of security was not worth making those calls to instigate and carry out acts police brutality.

As I sleep at night, all I dream about are those attacks on peaceful protesters. We must not let this go. We must hold officers and those who made the calls to attack accountable for their actions. It maddens me further to watch interviews of police chiefs and government officials saluting the work of security forces over the weekend. Madder still to hear citizens commemorate police officers for ensuring the protection of our streets and its people. But where were these forces when the real damage and violence was being committed? Perhaps letting this violence occur provided them with a good excuse for justifying police brutality and unlawful arrests in the proceeding days. These were not ‘calculated’ uses of force. They were undeserved showcases of police brutality. We must continue to stand together in solidarity and to fight for our democratic rights. This is not a country of war, violence, or dictatorship. Over the past 72 hours however, it has become a country of shame and disgrace.