[SYHamilton]

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.