Shame! 2,4,6,8 We don’t want a police state!
Most days I love being a mother but there are times when I would love nothing more than to say to hell with the needs of the Tribe and join the protest down the street. The Toronto Star:
At least 1,000 demonstrators have assembled in front of Toronto police headquarters at 40 College St. to rally against the police response to G20 protests. Demonstrators chanted “Shame!” and “2-4-6-8. We don’t want a police state!” at the hundreds of officers who have formed a line in the westbound lanes. College Street is blocked between Bay and Yonge Sts. Before the protest began, police officers were questioning and searching people in the area. Activists Naomi Klein and Judy Rebick are expected to speak at the rally, which was held to protest alleged police brutality and how some G20 demonstrators were detained without charge.
I loathe Naomi Klein and have little respect for Judy Rebick but the government and the police need to be held accountable or there will simply be nothing worth inheriting.
This is simply unacceptable in an alleged ‘free society’.
I’m with Steve Paikin regarding this incident. The police have no business intervening in a peaceful protest. This was entirely unacceptable.
And do you think the police and the government will be held accountable?
I want to say yes and I want to live in a community where this does happen but my inner cynic says, fat chance and certainly not under this government.
I was in a line-up for my morning coffee yesterday and there were two women in front of me. One the women was about my age and dressed very similar (standard business attire) the other woman was dress with jeans, bullet belt, mohawk, tats, and t-shirt and remarkably fresh faced despite the get-up. She could have been my daughter – or yours. She was talking about attending the protests and taking pictures. Contrary to what many might believe, she had an overall good opinion of the police and discussed how nice so many of them were on Saturday which was why she was so shocked by the change on Sunday. Did she condemn the Black Bloc actions – absolutely and in no uncertain words, but she felt it was important to go out and demostrate for affordable housing, the poor, and the marginalized in order to send the ‘world leaders’ a message. She was outraged the BB’s actions which she felt hijacked and took away from the messages people like her were trying to send. Now I may disagree with her views, and think her actions futile, silly even, but I would rather live in a world where people like her care enough to attempt something for the greater good rather than not. Nor do I believe the right to assembly peacefully and express themselves should be met by riot walls, tear gas, or paint ball guns, battons, and summary arrests with trumped up charges. This is not the way to engage anyone.
@stageleft
I expect that the police will be held responsible. You’d have to demonstrate some culpability on the part of government in order to make that particular case.