Categories: Canada

Scenes from outside the summit: Day 2

On Saturday, protesters and police clashed in the streets of downtown Toronto

by Julia Belluz, Josh Dehaas, Stephanie Findlay, and Jane Switzer on Saturday, June 26, 2010 12:50pm - 27 Comments

10:38 pm [Stephanie]

This is at Yonge and Front. Despite reports to the contrary, there are no protesters, but a lot of of police—all in full riot gear.

6:44 pm [Stephanie]

Protesters at Yonge and King chanting, "You're sexy, you're cute, take off your riot suit."

5:45 pm [Josh]

At Yonge and Wellington: A cop directing traffic yells, “Hey, stop,” at a woman walking east and runs quickly toward her. He backs her up against the wall of an office building and asks her where she’s going. He demands to know what’s in her black backpack. She starts rifling through and pulls out a plastic baggie with water bottles in it. Another cop has joined the interrogation. He yanks the baggie out of her hand and starts unscrewing the bottles and smelling the contents. He looks alarmed and yells at her not to touch her bag and tells her to produce ID. She reaches into her pocket and passes him her passport. They run her name through the system and then let her go. “If there’s a risk of being tear gassed you can place vinegar on a medical mask or a bandana to neutralize it,” says Claire Morcos, explaining what was in the offending bottle. “I brought it down with me to essentially protect myself.” Morcos says she is here to videotape the protests, not to protest.

4:49 pm [Stephanie]

The 'rubber' bullet is made of hard, hard plastic. I'm going to make sure I avoid getting hit by one of those.

3:53 pm [Stephanie]

Protesters move east.

3:48 pm [Stephanie]

A burning police car at Bay and King—the riot flares up (ha!).

3:42 pm [Julia]

Riot police march down Queen west after face-off between cops and protesters.

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Tags: G20, G20 policing, protests, summit, Toronto

http://intensedebate.com/people/DerekPearce DerekPearce

Southern Ontario Anarchy Resistance? Imperialists! Imposing their Southern Ontario agenda on all of Ontario! Where's the Northern Ontario Anarchy Resistance? Eastern Ontario? I demand justice! ;^)
danby

I would guess that the anarchists think that the violence/destruction garners media attention and widens the cause.

Personally, I don't condone the violence and wonder if it serves to turn off the kind of people who might otherwise give the protest more consideration.

Thwim

Please. Most of these dicks calling themselves anarchists are pathetic non-thinkers in the first place. They have such repressed rage from being so "oppressed" in their day to day lives and figure that if only they could smash the system, then they suddenly would be appreciated for their true talents.

Unfortunately, most of them fail to realize that the system does appreciate their true talents. That's why they're perpetually stuck on the bottom rung of some soul-deadening, mind-numbing company in the first place. Because that's all their "talent" qualifies them for.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Thwim Thwim

For giving you the means and technologies to co-ordinate your protests.

Yeah.. that sounds frickin' brilliant.

jdude

What are you talking about? I'm no fool that believes in protests I just find no use for the government in the economy, my life or in politics.

You do realize that libertarians aren't always hellbent on violence? I protest the actions of the state beyond fruitless "G20 and G8 summits". I suppose you have much to learn.

being

u r right. we cant find the government in our livelihood. so its no use.

http://intensedebate.com/profiles/elmediat elmediat

Based on what I have read in various media reports and what was being presented on CTV and CBC news channels, I think there were four types of "social protest groups". Group one was the traditional 1960's style walk, talk,and sit "we-shall-overcome protesters". Group two was the extreme black-hooded we are not-going-to-take-it-anymore throw a brick protesers. Both these groups have clear political/social agendas, but very different approaches to publizing their causes. Group three were throw a-brick-start a-fire anarchists. Their only social goal was to instigate upheavaland change. They want social change that is loud, active, but unfocussed. The last group were on their bikes and skates, or just hanging around trying to be actively part of the scene or at least be seen with the group. They defied authorites as part of social entertainment event as opposed to a social goal. If it had been a after a NHL play-off game they would have been there raising hell too.

Sandra

you forgot the 5th group, paid to infiltrate the protest and cause trouble.

true north

And what group would you fit into ? Probably a little bit of both Group #1 and Group #4.,Still don't trust the ''Man'' man,cause Big Brother is out to get you man, but still want to show people that you support the cause.( Whatever one is popular at the time.)

Sandra

I have to wonder how much of the 1 BILLION was spent on paying agitators such as the BLACK BLOCK to be violent and therefore justify the money spent on security. In watching the news I never saw the police arrest any of them, even the guy trashing the Starbucks was being watched by a cop who did NOTHING.

http://intensedebate.com/people/DerekPearce DerekPearce

You know, I can't stand Harper, can't wait until the Tories are out of government again (which means I'll be unfortunately waiting a while). Disagree with his government on almost every issue. But I simply cannot believe the gov't has the stupidity/ organizational wherewithal to hire vandals in order to make trouble. Perhaps I'm crazy-naive. Please explain what specific G20 policy goals are achieved by the smashing of an independent jewelery store or the stealing of some American Apparel mannequins, when the G20 can't even agree on sh*t themselves.

Marion

I would like to share in your belief, but it has happened before: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/08/23/police-…
(looking at that photo now, those bandanas they are using to cover their faces look familiar)

true north

They were Undercover Cops, And the Police Dept stated…At no time did the Police act as instigators or commit criminal acts. They are undercover Police Officers who were doing what they get paid do..''Play'' criminal not become one. Next time though they should maybe do a costume change every two hours.

Sandra

This tactic has been used thro out history, and especially noticed during labour disputes. In the Quebec City protests I believe some union men stopped a couple of BLACK BLOC with rocks in their hands. Later it was comfirmed that they were undercover cops. The tactic is used to undermine the voice of the protesters, the protesters loose the respect of the public, and to justify the large security involved. I agree with you about Harper and his government. He now can thank the BLACK BLOC for justifying the 1 BILLION spent on security. How nice for him and his government.

true north

It is very possible it was Undercover Police dressed in black and with rocks in their hands, But i will gaurantee that they did not,and would not throw the rocks to cause any damage, the ''Tactic'' is not used to undermine the voice of the protesters, but to get close enough to the offenders for Identification purpose's and then feed the relivant information back to their OIC (officer in charge) who usually is just around the next corner with a Squad of Uniformed Officers who will take the appropriate action,less chance of mistaken identity or detaining say , ten individuals when only 0ne or Two are the culprits….

guest

But why would they even have the rocks in the first place? Do you really need to wield a potential weapon to 'blend in' with the crowd?
true north

If your going to try and fit in and play the part ,you best have all the right prop's, if these criminals were to pick up on the fact that there is a Rat among them, especially in a large crowd that are all charged up, well, you can bet the end result would not be pretty and you would be suprised on how many people would not see a thing.
guest

I just don't buy that argument. Holding a rock in a protest is clearly inciting violence. I won't go so far to say that those officers were about to throw the rock and be violent, but I don't think they can justify holding – what is in that situation – a weapon. But your argument is redundant because the union leader there DID call them out as undercover police and insisted that they "drop the rock, because this is a peaceful protest."

The bottom line is that this was not an exceptional occasion, and it really needs to be denounced publicly. Take this incident from the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Undercover police within a crowd of protestors staged a fight with police, the rationale being so that they could remove themselves from the already unruly crowd without giving away their disguise. However, you have to ask what the effects in a tense situation are going to be when you have undercover police dressed as anarchists publicly fighting uniformed police.
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_1092081…
true north

Being that the union leader exposed them as Police Officers it changed the whole course of events,If the Officers had not been exposed would it have indeed been a Peaceful protest,, or would it have turned disruptive? It would be highly unlikely that the Police force would waste there time, resources and put the safety of the Undercover Officers at risk unless there was a very good reason.
guest

Before you ask. I don't think the vandalism in Toronto this weekend was caused by agent provocateurs. There are plenty of idiots out there ready to dress up and play revolutionary. However, I do criticize the police decision-makers for not blocking them off and arresting the black bloc crowd while the show was going on, as I know for a fact that there were a few hundred riot police a couple blocks away on Queen street when they were smashing store windows (in my neighbourhood at that). Don't need to get into the police's over reaction against protestors, journalists and pedestrians Saturday evening and Sunday here.

Police Chief Blair said in a press conference on Sunday that he deliberately did not dispatch officers to stop the anarchists in order to ensure the fence was secure. That was a mistake IMO.
true north

I suppose a lot will be learned from all of this, but I guess on the plus side (if there is one ) no one was seriously injured or worse ! Also from what you say you had almost front row seats to a Billion Dollar event..Great stories to tell the Grandchildren.

soitgoes

Doesn't necessarily have to do anything with 'hiring' vandals (but I do love the expression "rent-a-riot"), or discount the fact that there are plenty of people ready to don black and wreck havoc. But what I saw fit with this journalist's account – the black bloc roamed for over an hour despite riot police being a few hundred yards away – and I think its possible that there were agent provocateurs there to 'up the ante', make a good show for the media (those police cars burned for way way too long), and try and justify widely criticized security costs while discrediting protestors and lawful dissent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5G7aCgXtWg&fe…

http://intensedebate.com/people/citizen_CA citizen_CA

Your nuts!

Felix Jones

Burning Police Cars and not a cop in sight, other Police cars had been towed from within the vicinity over the weekend, why not those?. Same goes for all the vanadalism. It happened along Queen West which was swarming with Police, but right when stuff started to get smashed they were nowhere in sight. Playing burning Police cars and people smashing Starbucks on constant loop makes for nice CTV, CBC and Global eye candy, but it's nowhere near an accurate protrayal of what happened over the weekend.
The Police behaved poorly, but they're not the only ones complicit. Our provincial government gave them the mandate to do this prior to the summit. And even the so-called man-of-the-people-and-environment David Miller is playing apologist for the ISU. And let's not forget our man in Parliament, old pudge Harper that spent over a billion dollars on this mess. Thank you Mr. Prime Minister for invading Toronto, please don't come back.
There's a lot of blame to go around here folks, I really hope this issue doesn't get swept away by the 24 hour news cycle.

true north

No It will be more like 48 hrs, then it will become re-hashed Starbucks talk, and bar drivell,and every time the same story is told, it will become more exagerated and more dramatic and more expensive.

http://intensedebate.com/people/M_A_D_world M_A_D_world

No the Anarchists asked for this. They get to call themselves heroes or freedom fighters because they clashed with officers and smashed bank windows. All free publicity for their cause, thanks to live blogging and 24 hour media.

To bad the citizens of Ontario and specifically Toronto have to deal with the fallout of their little rebellion. Want to know why insurance companies rob us blind? Thank the thugs for giving them an excuse.
Marion

Because it was their idea to hold the summit in Toronto?