G8/G20 June 2010 Protest Watch

[The Bread Guy]

ISU:  "Of course we consider these sorts of things when we plan security" - this from the Canadian Press:

The police forces in charge of security at the G20 and G8 summits are keeping a close eye on the firebombing of a bank branch in a trendy neighbourhood of the capital this week.

The Integrated Security Unit says it is analyzing video tape of the explosion, and is prepared to lend its intelligence expertise to Ottawa police as they investigate the incident.

"Any time this kind of thing happens, there is a need to step back and say ... 'is this a one time (event)?'" said Michele Paradis, an ISU spokeswoman.

"It's an isolated incident now, and we hope that it stays as an isolated incident. We'll work on it from there," she said in an interview. "If there is a need to adjust our plans based on this, we certainly will." ....

Banks:  "Of course we consider these sorts of things when we plan security" - via CTV.ca:

An RBC branch in the Glebe will beef up security at the site after a self-described anarchist group claimed responsibility for firebombing the bank early Tuesday morning.

Flames ripped through the ATM area of the bank at about 3:30 a.m., destroying the bank's entrance and causing heat and smoke damage to the rest of the building.

A video of the fire posted online to an anti-establishment website shows a man leaving the side door of the bank's foyer as flames rush through the front of the building, shattering windows and littering the sidewalk with debris ....

Meanwhile, from CP24, a bit of the obvious:

Canadian journalists were absent this morning as foreign reporters were given a tour of Toronto's G20 facilities.

Reporters from China, Indonesia, Russia and Saudi Arabia were amongst the media given tours of parts of Toronto on Wednesday.

While Canadian journalists were not invited, the Minister of State for small businesses and tourism Rob Moore says security preparations are well under way for the summit of major world leaders in late June.

Moore says officials have learned from security practices at the Olympics in Vancouver and will apply their knowledge in Toronto.

"I don't know the exact numbers (of officers), but they have a plan in place and will make sure everybody is safe," he said.

"It's a major logistical challenge but our forces…are up to the challenge." ....

And how about businesses in the area?

.... Moore also told reporters in a scrum after a tour in the Distillery District that plans are in place to deal with damages to local businesses.

"It's a major undertaking and it does have an impact, it has a positive impact in many ways, but it has its challenges and we're prepared to deal with some of them," said Moore, who was whisked away by handlers when asked if businesses would receive compensation.

 

[The Bread Guy]

From Canada.com/CanWest:

The videotaped firebombing of a Royal Bank of Canada branch in Ottawa this week could be a sign of things to come.

Anarchist websites are threatening "militant and confrontational" action during the summits of G8 and G20 world leaders in Huntsville, Ont., and Toronto, respectively, next month.

And the group claiming responsibility for the bank attack vows that its members will "be there" to protest "exploitation of people and the environment."

Andre Gerolymatos, a professor of international security at Simon Fraser University and an expert on anarchy, said it would not surprise him to see those involved in the firebombing appear at the upcoming summits.

"The G8 (summit) has always been a magnet for protest. These people want to ratchet it up a bit," he said Wednesday.

Gerolymatos said the group of radicals is probably small, and will likely try to mix in with legitimate protesters and incite police. "It's a favourite tactic of anarchists," he said ....

 

[The Bread Guy]

- edited to add graphic reference -

From CITY-TV - highlights mine:

The return of Roy Halladay has been scrubbed and the CN Tower will now be closed during the G20 summit next month.

The iconic landmark will be off-limits from Friday, June 25 to Tuesday, June 29 due to the massive security effort during the summit, which will cover a large swath of the downtown core, particularly in the area bounded by Queen Street, Spadina Avenue and Yonge Street.

Security directly around the Metro Convention Centre will be especially tight.

Last week, the Toronto Blue Jays announced the team’s three-game series against the Phillies slated to take place at the Rogers Centre the same weekend as the summit has been moved to Philadelphia.

Among other security measures, the RCMP is reportedly advising people who work on Bay Street to dress down during the event as not to attract the attention of anti-corporate protesters and office towers in the area are apparently stockpiling supplies for several days in the event of a lockdown, a report claims.

Authorities have designated Queen’s Park as the official protest zone, although many demonstrators are expected to flood the area surrounding the summit venue.

The G20, which runs June 26-27, is being held in conjunction with the G8, which happens in Huntsville, Ont. June 25-26.

and CTV Toronto:

The CN Tower will be closed during the G20 Summit next month because of security concerns, marking the latest in a series of closures ahead of the high-level meetings.

The tower will be shut from June 25 to 27, and will reopen on June 28 to the public ....

Meanwhile, lookit one of the "Community Mobilization Artwork" posts on one of the protest organizing sites (attached, with a h/t to the National Post).

 

[PMedMoe]

Wow.  Why not just close all the businesses like they did for the Olympics?

 

[heavygunner]

I really hope the G8 and G20 protesters decide that peacefully putting a message across is far more effective than being belligerents. Otherwise, I've got no sympathy when the pepper spray and rubber bullets come out.

;D haha dont forget the tear gas!

 

[The Bread Guy]

Wow.  Why not just close all the businesses like they did for the Olympics?

As much as I love to hate TO as anybody else, given how many head offices and centres of gravity are there, I don't know what would happen to the rest of Canadian business if that happened for a few days.

Then again, some "periphery-over-centre" types might say MORE would get done if that happened, too  ;D

Meanwhile, at rabble.ca, not much regret there (PDF attached if link doesn't work for you):

.... S.K. Hussan, a spokesperson for the Toronto Community Mobilization Network -- which is facilitating the G20 protests here in Toronto, said of the bombing, "'One burnt RBC branch pales in comparison to the death and devastation that the G20 policies create worldwide, and the Tar Sands create in Canada. The Toronto Community Mobilization Network supports mass mobilizations, rallies, protests and creative actions that oppose the G20's colonial, anti-people, anti-environment agenda"

On rabble.ca's discussion board, babble, reactions were mixed; some fear that the act, "will most certainly be exploited to justify full tilt boogie-man tactics against G8/G20 protesters." One babbler noted:

"A firebombed bank, where the situation is being treated as suspicious by the authorities [have responded] with 16 firetrucks and 35 firefighters, along with the unlimited and dedicated attention of the police to determine the circumstances and track down the perps, all to address a crime against corporate property. Meanwhile, Bay and Wall Street continue to rage with impunity, where millions of lives are at stake as a result of their attacks upon the worth and lives of human beings." ....

Oooh boy....

 

[zipperhead_cop]

Meanwhile, lookit one of the "Community Mobilization Artwork" posts on one of the protest organizing sites

Hey, that's cool!  It shows the G20 levelling a milliwave generator at hoards of protesters who are running away.  At least they know what to expect. 

 

[The Bread Guy]

First squirts o' news out of this:
http://forums.milnet.ca/forums/threads/92495/post-935374.html#msg935374

From the Globe & Mail:

The G20 summit is just over a month away, and the reality of the situation is beginning to make itself clear. For the past few weeks, much of the Toronto population has probably been hoping that preparations for the event were an exercise in over-reaction. But this week has been something of a revelation for many. The firebombing  of an Ottawa bank on Tuesday morning — the work of a group of self-described anarchists who connected their terrorist act to the upcoming summit — has shown that the threat of violence and property destruction is real. It has been announced that the CN Tower will be closed, CCTV cameras are being installed in the downtown core, and Bay Street workers are being advised to dress casual so as not to raise the ire of anti-establishment protesters. Police have confirmed that the  security fencing will likely go up around June 11, and mailboxes, bike parking rings and street furniture will be removed from the area around the Metro Convention Centre. Highway closures, TTC delays and general grid lock are inevitable.

At a press conference this morning, anti-poverty activist John Clarke said that shop owners are being asked to sign “trespass letters,” which will allow police to remove people from private property. Groups who are planning to protest during the event say Toronto is being transformed into “a police state” while police defend their actions as the best way to protect the city and its guests. It’s hard to say where sympathy lies these days and the main question most people seem to be asking themselves is: why on earth would any city invite this upon themselves?

From CTV Toronto:

An umbrella group concerned with various social issues says it plans to protest the G8 and G20 summits because the leaders do not represent the interests of ordinary people.

Organizer Adonis El-Jamal says the governments of the countries involved are interested in saving banks, but not people's livelihoods.

The Toronto Community Mobilization Network held a news conference Thursday to discuss the issues they hope to highlight through protests and events related to the summits.

They say they will be protesting for self-determination for indigenous people, climate justice, income equity, community control over resources and migrant justice.

(....)

Meanwhile, a group called the Human Summit Project announced its alternative approach to "conscious civil engagement" surrounding the G20 summit.

Members will hold a one-hour silent meditation in Woodbine Park in Toronto on the second day of the two-day G20 summit.

The purpose is to "remind people everywhere that they have a voice, even in silence, to effect change and to remind our leaders to account for the value of human existence," according to a news release.

And from CFRA's web page:

As security officials prepare for the G8 and G20 summits in Huntsville and Toronto next month anarchists and others who plan to protest those events are speaking out.

One of them is gay rights activist and York University student Ro Velasquez.

She tells a news conference in Toronto there are several reasons why she's against the global gatherings.

"Queer history has a history of resistance, a history of mobilization against government repression toward the freedom to express our diverse sexualities and gender identities openly," says Velasquez.

Adonis El Jamal of the Community Mobilization Network also questions the motivations of world leaders who'll meet in Huntsville and Toronto.

"The G8 and G20 represent the interests of the richest people on the Earth, not needs of people across the globe," says El Jamal ....

Meanwhile, Canadian Press feeds story on G8 protest zone near Huntsville:
http://forums.milnet.ca/forums/threads/92495/post-935385.html#msg935385

Security officials for the G8 summit in Huntsville, Ont., have revealed the location of the protest zone, just outside the main part of town.

The "designated speech area," announced by the Integrated Security Unit, will be located eight kilometres down the road from the summit.

The zone is on Golf Course Road, off Highway 60, which is the main route toward Deerhurst Resort, which is hosting the summit.

Golf Course Road does not appear to be a likely path leaders or other dignitaries would take to get to or from Deerhurst ....

 

[The Bread Guy]

This from g20.torontomobilize.org:

Toronto Vs. The G20
Start: 06/05/2010 10:30
End: 06/05/2010 18:00
Timezone: Canada/Eastern

Toronto vs. the G20
Community action for global justice

Saturday, June 5
10:30am-6pm
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
252 Bloor Street West
5th Floor

What are we protesting, again?

It’s a good impulse to feel contempt for the G20. It’s a better impulse to want to talk about it.Join student and community activists to learn about the G20 and current social and environmental justice campaigns in Toronto, and to get involved. Free citywide teach-in. Lunch included! ....

Full itinerary also attached in case link doesn't work for you.

 

[The Bread Guy]

- Not much regret (or comment) from protest organizers in Toronto about Ottawa firebombing
- "We won't be penned in (to designated protest areas)!" (Transl:  we're above the law)
- Expect delays at/around Pearson during Summit Season
- Rabble.ca seeking hardware to help spread propaganda the word

Toronto Star, 20 Mar 10:

G20 protesters say they refuse to be “corralled” inside a designated speech area and are determined to exercise their right to demonstrate during the summit.

The Toronto Community Mobilization Network is an umbrella organization that connects disparate groups planning to demonstrate against the G20 summit on June 26-27. At a news conference Thursday, the group addressed the myriad issues prompting them to protest, decrying the summit as an undemocratic, disruptive and “militarized” event designed to further the interests of a “global elite.”

“If you are going to impose this poverty and misery on people throughout this planet, don’t think that you’re going to be able to ask them to confine themselves to sedate, nice, polite methods of struggle,” said John Clarke with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, one of the many organizations in the network. “People, by God, are going to resist and they have a damn right to.” ....

Globe & Mail, 20 May 10

A coalition of groups who plan to demonstrate against the upcoming G20 in Toronto says Canadians should focus on the deeds of invited dignitaries, not the protesters who meet them.

At a news conference Thursday on their reasons for opposing the international summit, coalition members were asked to weigh in on the recent firebombing of an Ottawa bank and the likelihood of violence on Toronto streets when the international leaders descend on the city June 26 and 27.

“A bomb in a bank will be fixed,” said Anna Willats, of Gender Justice For All. “The violence that happens to women’s lives around the world will be with us forever.”

Ms. Willats was joined by individuals who advocate for causes ranging from disability rights to queer issues, the First Nations community and climate justice, as well as representatives of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, Canadian Union of Public Employees and the Canadian Arab Federation.

“All of these things are related and interconnected,” said Adonis El-Jamal, of the Toronto Community Mobilization Network, an umbrella group formed in advance of the summit.

Protest groups gathered in a Steelworkers’ Hall to discuss “issues not tactics,” but could not avoid questions about the Ottawa attack, responsibility for which was claimed by a group of anarchists who cited the G8 and G20 summits as targets.

After repeatedly refusing to address the possibility that their message could be hijacked by violent elements, members of the coalition said any escalation in tactics by protesters would pale in comparison to the impact of policies promoted by G20 leaders.

“Next month, some of the most dangerous people on the planet are going to be coming to Toronto, where they will be given an armed camp,” said poverty activist John Clarke. “The audacity of allowing them to gather in an armed camp and then asking people ‘Do you think someone’s going to break a window or scuffle with police?’ Damn right people are going to resist.” ....

Reuters, 20 May 10

…. Protesters have planned demonstrations against both summits, starting on June 21, and ranging from marches to all-night street parties.

"In June we will be on the streets and we will shut them down and show them our power," Farrah Miranda, leading a group called No One is Illegal, said at a media briefing in Toronto on Thursday.

"The struggle will continue in June on the streets of Toronto."

Nine groups held the briefing under the banner of the G8/G20 Toronto Community Mobilization Network, which is co-ordinating the protest efforts.

Activists say they have no plans for violent protests, but they do plan to make as much noise as they can and have been canvassing Toronto's marginalized neighborhoods for months to join in demands for social justice for a variety of groups.

The group declined comment on the Ottawa firebomb attack, which damaged the bank property but caused no injuries ....

nowtoronto.com, 20 May 10:

Here’s a question: how many news cameras would have turned out for the Toronto Community Mobilization Network’s presser on G20 protests Thursday morning if a bank in a tony area of Ottawa weren’t sitting in blackened ruin?

The answer’s a bummer.

As it was,  firebombers were the star of the news conference at the Steelworkers Hall on Cecil.

Though organizers worked desperately to keep the focus on issues — they had nine activists on tap from OCAP’s John Clarke  to the Canadian Arab Federation’s Khaled Mouammar to climate activist Maryam Adrangi — it was clear from the Q and A that  newsies considered all the talk about poverty, enviro dessecration etc, merely the preamble to what they really wanted to know: will there be violence at the G20?

Network spokesperson Leslie Wood struggled to stay on message: “we’re working for a more peaceful, sustainable world; we don’t talk tactics,’’ she responded in a myriad of ways.

“But are you going to tell people NOT to be violent?’’ one reporter persisted.

“We want to show that the G20 is incompetent in managing the world economy,’’ Wood gamely went on.

Finally, gender justice activist Anna Willats took the matter well in hand: she said there’s lots of violence visited on people in the normal course of society but that she doesn’t support movement violence in return. “I can’t square that circle,’’ she said.

But she went on to tell the press: “ the “message is in your hands.’’ If you focus on violence, that will be the main issue, she said. “You have the control.’’

Then her punchline: A bombed bank, she said, “ will be fixed up in a month; violence against women, will last for generations. You guys have to get on that.’’ ....

Toronto Sun, 20 May 10

Some homeless men and women will be moved out of downtown as part of a security crackdown by Toronto Police for the G20 summit next month, officers and protesters say.

Members of 10 anti-summit groups — including anti-poverty, gender, environment and native activists — vow to wreak havoc when the world leaders meet June 26-27 at the Metro Convention Centre. The G8 takes place in Huntsville June 25-26.

The groups have refused to reveal their tactics or if they’re linked to a cell that firebombed a Royal Bank in Ottawa Tuesday.

John Clarke of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty said some homeless have complained of being pressured by police to move from the area where the summit is taking place.

“It is not surprising that they are moving people,” Clarke said Thursday. “People are complaining that the police want them out and that they have to move.”

Clarke was cheered by demonstrators as he spoke about plans to protest the world leaders.

“People will resist and we have a right to resist,” he said to loud cheers. “We are taking early steps in building a resistance movement.”

(....)

Farah Miranda of No One is Illegal said Torontonians didn’t want a summit or the “police state.”

“We will be marching on the streets and we want to show them our power and shut them down,” Miranda said. “This is part of our struggle for migrant justice.”

Maryam Adrangi of People for Climate Justice said the environment was not on the summit’s agenda.

“Canada has refused to put environment on the agenda of the G20,” Adrangi said. “It is just disgusting.”

Sharmeen Khan of the Toronto Community Mobilization Network said the protests are part of an ongoing struggle for social justice.

“The attendees of the summits represent a wealthy few who are responsible for creating policies and institutions that destroy communities,” Khan said ....

Toronto Sun, 20 May 10

Pearson airport will be in a state of high alert days before the arrival next month of G20 leaders.

Passengers heading to the airport from June 21 until about June 27 are being warned to travel with ID and be prepared for delays caused by motorcades carrying world leaders to Huntsville for the G8 or Toronto for the G20.

“This is the largest security operation ever at Pearson airport,” said Peel Const. Adam Minion.

Motorists travelling to Pearson to pick up passengers will be subject to random police checks and all cargo vehicles will be scanned before they’re allowed on airport property.

Police said employees of businesses close to the airport will undergo security checks, as well as cab and limo drivers.

Some flights will face brief delays when air traffic over Pearson will stop for the arrival of leaders like U.S. President Barack Obama.

Meanwhile, some Toronto Police officers are undergoing training to handle the protesters expected at the summit.

Officers have been told to expect violence and to have gas masks ready.

“Our officers are well trained to handle any situations,” said Toronto Police spokesman Meaghan Gray. “Criminal activity will not be tolerated.”

Police have already erected a large fence around the Toronto Film Studio that will serve as a holding area and downtown’s 52 Division station on Dundas St. W. has been fortified with fencing.

rabble.ca:

Wondering what to do with old electronics when you upgrade? Donate them to rabble.ca! We're gearing up to cover the G8 and G20 summits in June and plan to outfit a small army of journalists with equipment for on the ground reporting! Here are some of the items we could use:
*Minidisc recorders
*Unidirectional microphones
*Laptops
*A projector
*Digital cameras with video capability
*Mini to USB or mini to mini cables ....

 

[leroi]

Looks like this guy will be doing media coverage for the protesters in Toronto: Press For Truth

Security personnel are going to be busy, I think.

 

[zipperhead_cop]

Anyone can be a hero in a mask at 4am against an empty bank.  If they pull that in Toronto, it will be game on.  Riot police train to be hit with rocks and molotov coctails.  Do the anarchists train to be hit with less-than-lethal options? 

 

[Jarnhamar]

This weekend my friends cousin wouldn't STFU about how great it's going to be going to the G8 and G20 summit to protest.  An aspiring actor in school, he acted like protesting this summit would Sheppard in a new age of peace and prosperity. I didn't get into it with him because my friend was already embarrassed enough but maybe someone here can shed some light on this.

The summits are going to attract a LOT of protesters.  What's the point?  What exactly is showing up to this with signs and shouting and mouthing off to cops going to prove?  Are the gathered world leaders going to say holy shit would you look at that outside? These guys are really serious maybe they have a point!
Or are they going to completely ignore the protesters and everything they are saying and enjoy our fine bacon and poutine and do their thing.

I seriously don't understand what the deal is. Does anyone even care about protests? I know when I drive by them in Ottawa all the time I don't really care. Their a nuisance and if they were standing beside a giant puddle I would go out of my way to splash them.

What is protesting at the summits REALLY going to accomplish? Does anyone outside of their own circle read those signs or care?

Lets take my friends cousin.  Now I'm not going to suggest that acting is a waste of time. I love actors. Getting paid millions and millions of dollars to make movies that cost hundreds of millions of dollars to make.  I feel sorry for all the actors that complain about how hard their lives are and how much being rich and famous isn't that great.
What if, instead of going to school to be an actor, someone who really cared that much about starving children, the climate (or whatever the G20 is about) went to school for something that would oh I don't know, help children or somehow help feed the starving. Help lessen our dependency on oil.

Ever notice how when protesters do their thing the media makes it about "them" and not the issues?
I'm going to wager that the media coverage on the G8 and G20 summit protests will be about all the stupid crap the protesters do, the damage they cause and the fighting with the police- and NOTHING to with the issues they are "worried" about.


And if any would-be-protesters are reading this; don't be a moron and bring your frigging kids. I never understand why parents bring their kids to protests then act all WTF when their kid gets trampled by a police horse when a fight breaks out.  Instead of buying the nice paper for your signs buy the cheap stuff (no one is gonna judge you) and pay for a babysitter.

 

[ModlrMike]

Here's a little more fodder for your questions:

http://forums.navy.ca/forums/threads/92495/post-915471.html#msg915471

 

[mellian]

While these protests may seem like it they make no difference to G8 and G20 and general nuisance especially thanks to particular, there is still a lot of good that come from them, and in a way both good and bad sign. Bad as in something is going on (whatever that is) which a good chunk of people disapprove to the point of protesting and demonstrating, and good thing as in good chunk of people who are even remotely aware of what is going and getting involved. If no one protested, either because it is not allowed or due to apathy, it would be time to worry.

Yes, there are the nuisances who like to protest for the sake of protesting and causing trouble, but many more are there for actual issues they care about. Apart from the protesting, such protests are essentially conferences and summits of there own, with a lot of networking going on, with plenty of opportunities to learn about the various issues and about G8/G20/etc, and to get involve with the many organizations at these protests. Many who attend such protests end up getting involved politically, join organizations and companies that deal with issues that they care about and agree with.

Then there is the economic aspect. While may be nuisance for the police and security, traffic, and some businesses the few particulars like to vandalize, these large protests tend to be a boon to local economy. How many book hotels/motels? Go to local restaurants and grocery stores or even supply stores?

For security, what great way to keep track of various nefarious groups, organizers, and such, all coming to one place near/under their jurisdiction?

Protests are not popular to the mainstream, but does not mean not popular among large segment of the populace, and not all of them are students, nomadic troublemakers, and on welfare.

 

 

[ballz]

I'm a little bit appalled about the fact that protesting is being frowned upon?

Personally, I'll be more worried if nobody is protesting...

 

[mariomike]

Toronto Sun:
"Take our G20...........please!"
"Stephen, for the love of all that’s holy, PLEASE cancel your plans to hold the G20 in Toronto on June 26 and 27"
"Keep this !@#%$ disaster-in-the-making as far away from Toronto as you can and we’ll even chip in for the tear gas and stun guns!":
http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/lorrie_goldstein/2010/05/05/13838526.html
( Story is followed by some interesting comments and political speculation. )

They are even shutting down the CN Tower:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/g8-g20/blog-local-view/

"As G20 nears, battle lines drawn over rights, security":
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20100522/g20-protest-police-100523/20100523/?hub=TopStoriesV2

"Anarchists getting act together for summits:
"And though police won’t say it, security experts suspect that with the G8 and G20 summits just weeks away, they’re being watched as closely as al-Qaida.":
http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/05/22/14047486.html

"Wanted: 500 extra police for G20 summit:
http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/05/22/wanted-500-extra-police-for-g20-summit/

Globe and Mail:
"as many as 10,000 uniformed officers and 1,000 private security guards teaming up to protect world leaders."

 

[Thompson_JM]

Anyone can be a hero in a mask at 4am against an empty bank.  If they pull that in Toronto, it will be game on.  Riot police train to be hit with rocks and molotov coctails.  Do the anarchists train to be hit with less-than-lethal options?

I going to guess no... but that's what makes the highlight reel all the more fun to watch....

Truthfully... as much as I love to hate Toronto.... I really hope it doesn't explode into total chaos during the G20.... and I really hope no Emergency Service Personal are injured during the inevitable riots...

 

[Jarnhamar]

I'm a little bit appalled about the fact that protesting is being frowned upon?

Personally, I'll be more worried if nobody is protesting...

Because they would be spending their time doing something actually productive?

 

[mellian]

Because they would be spending their time doing something actually productive?

Whose to say it is not productive?