When Stephen Harper announced in December that the G20 summit would be held in Toronto there were lots of objections. Why downtown Toronto? Within the square kilometer fenced off for a security perimeter were 18,000 residents, hundreds of businesses and the busiest transit hub in Ontario. Surely there had to be better places to hold the summit? But Harper wasn't listening.
Today I'm saddened at the vandalism and hooliganism and distressed by the egregious disregard for civil rights and liberties shown by the security forces. But mostly I'm angry. Does anyone think it was worth it? Nothing accomplished as far as I can see. Billions of dollars wasted and a black eye for Toronto in the international press. I'm glad I chose to stay home, watch soccer and knit.
2 comments:
I don't understand the violence. It happens at all those G (whatever, 8, 20, etc) summits.
It's the same thing when a city's team wins a championship. I just don't get it.
The criminality of the hooligans does not negate nor justify the criminality that I witnessed on the part of the Police. No I was not there; I was not a protestor nor am I Black Bloc supporter; those Black Bloc people are dispicable. I was sitting in my family room watching the CP 24 live broadcasting on TV of the actions of the Police. I was horrified and I became glued to my TV screen. I never thought I would witness such blatant disregard of the law, of civil rights and of due process on the part of any Police Force in Canada. The fact that cameras were rolling did not appear to deter them at all. I was shocked at their seeming confidence that they could behave in the manner that they did and their certainty that they would get away with it. A complacent coach potato of a Canadian has become a concerned civil libertarian.
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