Welcome to North Korea, I mean Toronto
 

Got a pad and pen? You're a threat.
June 25, 2010
Jeremy Grimaldi
The Hamilton Spectator
TORONTO (Jun 25, 2010) If the authorities at the G20 summit are trying to intimidate people, then mission accomplished.
Much of the Toronto's downtown core now appears to be what one tourist called a "police state."
More than 12,000 officers have occupied a 15-block radius in order to guard 20 world leaders and their delegations from perceived security threats.
And during an impromptu visit yesterday, I found out it takes little more than a pad and pen to become one of those threats. In fact, it took security guards only 10 seconds to start hassling me as I furiously wrote notes of the eerie scene before me.
I climbed the stairs at St Andrew's station on the corner of King and University and before me lay one of the city's most famous streets -- University Avenue -- utterly desolate.
Surrounding me were four of the nation's biggest bank buildings, completely vacant of their 30,000 employees.
After being moved on, I walked west to find about 50 riot officers loitering in front of the long 3.6-metre security fence.
Only moments after striking up a conversation with employees out on their smoke breaks, I was immediately approached by more security guards asking to see exactly what I was writing.
When I refused, riot police approached and requested my ID, before quickly jotting down my details and running them "through the computer."
One of them, an officer named Chu, who was attempting to remain pleasant unlike his glaring partner, told me he was worried that I was engaging in a reconnaissance mission.
He said: "We are here to make sure there's nothing out of the ordinary. Everyone is under surveillance right now."
With varying degrees of aggressiveness, police checked my ID again six more times before my four-hour journey through the security zone was complete.
When I entered a deserted Union Station, the only man I could find was Chaz Hutch, who had made the trip via the Go Train.
He told me although he had had a positive experience meeting police, he was still "freaked out" because the only people in the city appeared to be thousands of cops.
He said: "I have no problem with protesters or police, but this is right out of a science fiction movie -- it's like a police state."
One Japanese delegate said the city had overdone it with "entirely too much security."
Others revelled in the mystique of it all.
One onlooker said: "Well I certainly feel safe. It is very interesting to see. They (the police) are very well organized."
Business people, however, were not pleased.
Ujjwal Dar, from the Toronto Convention Centre, the security epicentre where G20 meetings will take place, said his trade was down by 50 per cent.
"Why would the delegates shop here when the government is giving them everything free inside the convention centre?" he asks.
Meanwhile, a map seller said rather than sell his usual two boxes of maps, he had barely made it through half a box, because of the lack of tourists.
Moving on, I did locate one protester, who was being harangued by seven policemen. After they were finished, I approached him and began to inquire about the police's G20 tactics.
As we spoke, a police officer took notes of our meeting.
The man, who refused to give me his name, said protesters are facing unprecedented intimidation by police.
I think it is safe to say that if yesterday is any indication, the summit should be an interesting event.

because I am a natural skeptic, and thereby subversive, I'm forced to wonder:

• what does one have to do to attact the attention of SEVEN policemen, who are (as noted) already busy?
• how much weight does one give to the judgements of an unwilling and unqualified source? he refused to give his name, but I'm expected to assume that he's an expert on the precedence of police intimidation.
• intelligent and determined people, who want to get things done, know how to avoid the eyes of the police, while the loud and boisterous simply want personal attention (even without giving their name). what does this say about both of the characters in this "story"?

want change? fight smart.


also, comparing the police pressence in Toronto to North Korea not only lends too much overstatement to the Toronto "police state", but devalues just how fucking bad it really is in the DPRK; it's the same as calling Bush "Hitler", and only shows a general lack of understanding of history, the world, common sense and good taste.

How very uncanadian of them.

Imagine a fascist Canada. "So, like, don't be sayin' bad stuff aboot the government, eh. Yah hoser, take off, eh."

SYHamilton is clearly one of those sensationalist fantasists who are wont to nuke things out of proportion. A paranoid conspiracy-monger.

Yet more PC posturing from a loggerheaded lout whose shrill voiced histronics bring even greater shame to his already tarnished reputation.

I take it all back - these idiots smashing windows and setting cop cars on fire are just legitimizing the police presence.
These so-called Anarchists are looking more like thugs.

that was kind of my point. with the people who effect real change, you don't even see coming.

http://news.sympatico.ctv.ca/home/po...ashed/cc48a867

pretty intense here in the battle of Toronto

Those so-called Anarchists are nothing but retarded, middle class, painfully pretentious poseurs. They probably buy stuff from the shops they vandalised.

your point being?

They're fucking twats.

your point being?

damn, canada. shit just got REAL.

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Those so-called Anarchists are nothing but retarded, middle class, painfully pretentious poseurs.

Actually they are mostly from Quebec it seems. People from Toronto don't do shit like that

and BTW, there is no middle class left in Canada

not that the 'anarchists' are not completely stupid, attacking anything and everyone, including the media is just pointless. the cops however are just fucking idiots in uniform. they arrested a deaf man for not following orders and gave him a kicking.

bulls on parade = toronto cops

I have never been bullied by cops in Toronto or treated like shit. I know its not the same in NYC or LA.

But this weekend is off the charts

SYHamilton - Reminds me of when I was in Cuba a month ago, and a Cuban friend of mine were jotting down notes for the volunteer organization we were involved in. I happened to reside a few blocks away from Fidel's place, and a police car stopped in front of us and started asking questions, saying things like 'Is that your diary?' and other insults, but all in Spanish so I didn't understand a thing until my Cuban buddy translated it for me. If I walked down the street with a camera, practically every local would tell me to put it away.

So I guess it would be really odd to have that degree of harassment in Canada...


That's not true at all, there's certainly a middle class left.

they're paid provacateurs by the State, it is well documented the provacateurs in MTL were wearing police issued boots - after spending a BILLION dollars (how do you Canadians let them get away with such theivery?) they had to prove spending a BILLION dollars was warranted.

by introducing the HST.