I thought for this week’s My World Tuesday I’d post a couple of shots from the G20 Summit here in Toronto.
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It’s all over now but for the tears. You should hear the blathering going on up here. The protesters who just a couple of days ago were screaming the nastiest things you can imagine into the faces of cops in riot gear in an effort to provoke them are now bawling about how they were mistreated once the cops actually shut them down. I’m talking about the asshole anarchists not the peaceful protesters, although it’s the peaceful protester now up in arms since they were corralled in with the anarchists. While I do feel their pain, it’s very hard to have any sympathy for them. Even the peaceful ones were making threats in the news just a day or two before all hell broke loose.
Anyway, it’s nice to see the city getting back to normal again. In no time we’ll all be avoiding eye contact and going about our business of coldly ignoring those around us.
Hi. I was wondering if you’d witnessed any of this first hand. I’d heard about a journalist who was beaten by police when he identified himself as a journalist to a Police officer. Democracy Now!’s coverage of the arrest of 600 people at random was not heartening. Anarchists and infiltrators aside, it sounds like Toronto’s police force was working for something like a Billion dollar security price tag. Toronto did not sound like a nice place to be at all.
Is coldly avoiding eveyone normal for Toronto??? Your photos make it seem like a nicer place. Then again there was that guy on the sidewalk being ignored by passerbys…So what’s Toronto really like, Davey???
Leaving this link so you can read for yourself part of what has been reported. http://www.democracynow.org/2010/6/29/headlines#6
No, I didn’t see the real trouble. It happened mostly the day before and because of the rain I didn’t bother going down. I think they detained something like 900 people, of which over half were released without charge within hours. The only people hurt, really, were those looking to get hurt as part of their agenda. From what I understand, the sane people in the crowd came away pretty much unscathed, save for the boredom of waiting to be released.
As for the billion dollar price tag for G20 security, I still can’t comprehend how anyone can justify that. I mean, why not simply hold the summit on a nice swanky cruise liner in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by a couple of navy vessels for protection. Certainly that would have cost far less, no?
There are ironies aplenty with what went on this weekend, such as:
1. The black bloc anarchists were running around with photos of famous communist despots, totally oblivious to the irony that if they tried to trash one of their cities they would have been shot on the spot.
2. If not for those same anarchists and other vandals maybe the security cost would have been far less and the money saved used for more productive purposes.
3. They chanted at the top of their lungs, “Democracy Now!” in protest against a group of people all democratically elected (well, almost all) by the people to represent the people. Meanwhile, these anarchists, who were not elected by anyone, hijacked the entire protest and distracted the media from the real protesters who were trying to get across their messages in a peaceful fashion.
4. By Saturday night the local media was up in arms that the cops weren’t doing enough to stop these scumbags from trashing our city. By Sunday night the same media were up in arms because the cops decided to do exactly what the media was calling on them to do the night before.
5. Most of those charged will now look to the same government and same democratic, socialist system they were condemning the night before for free legal aid.
6. By way of a tip, the cops raided a University of Toronto campus and found weapons and black block disguises. Seems our “system” they claim to detest so much isn’t all that bad when it’s time for a student loan or a taxpayer funded education. If it were me, everyone one of them (the guilty ones only, of course) would be banned for life from attending any publicly supported school in the province of Ontario.
7. The anti-government anarchists who antagonized and accosted the police, only to end up with a beating for their trouble, undoubtedly happily accepted free medical attention from the same government system they are fighting against.
8. Many of the shops that were vandalized were mom and pop stores, the very folks (the little guy) these anti-government anarchists supposedly represent, or I should say, have arbitrarily self appointed themselves to represent. Unlike real democracies, they don’t bother to see if anyone wants them speaking on their behalf.
That’s just some of the ironic and moronic things that took place this weekend here in Toronto. On the other hand, there were far far more peaceful protesters just trying to get their message out. Unfortunately, their message was blocked by smoke from the burning police cruisers, thanks to the anarchists.
I was all over the downtown core on Sunday and was searched twice. I spoke to maybe 20 to 30 cops along the way and I have to say that not only were they very professional and courteous, a few even helped me with my photography, telling me where I could find stuff that I might have missed otherwise. They didn’t just say Hi, but were quite willing to stop and chat at length. They are people just like the rest of us, with families and hobbies and dreams, etc. But in all fairness, I treat people with respect when I meet them and the police I met were keen on showing respect right back. I’m sure if I was either stupid enough, insane enough or misinformed about how the world works enough to start yelling “F*** PIGS!!!” into the faces of these same cops, I’d probably have a much different story to tell. Many of the left-wing socialist underground media have no problem getting the story they want to tell, even if it means resorting to provocation to get the results their looking for. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if they don’t have the story already in the can and then looking for how to make it come true.
Anyway, that’s only my opinion, of course. Your mileage may vary.
All in all, it was a pretty peaceful summit. Some people were wrongfully detained and inconvenienced, and for them I feel bad. Others got exactly what they came down to get, f*cked over and arrested. How can anyone feel bad for them? Most came down, did their thing, and went home unharmed. The cops did an amazing job, in my opinion. The only thing I can really be critical of is that the anarchists will undoubtedly be let go looong before they deserve to be and will not be financially held accountable for their actions. Ironically, the system they detest so much will ensure they get a fair trial and a slap on the wrist.
Oh thank you for the lengthy reply. I’m always curious about the perspectives of people who actually are ‘in’ a place in which events are happening. It’s hard to know just what’s what depending on who is telling ‘the story’. What I’ve found more disconcerting is the background story regarding these ‘leaders’ and their agendas for everyone. Now that gives me the creepers. What ‘we’ don’t know could be very dangerous.
Again, thanks for sharing your experiences and photos.
Thanks for reading it, 47WB. Yeah, I’m also very suspicious of the agendas our world leaders have, and am the first to admit that I’m not a “worldly” guy. Maybe if I travelled more I’d have more of a rounded perspective. From where I sit, we are taxed beyond comprehension while our leader throws our money at the various problems around the globe like it grows on trees. I often think, for right or wrong, why not use our money to fix our own problems before taking on the problems of others. Like the U.S. we too are running an incredible deficit. Borrowing more to throw at other countries will doom future generations here who will be saddled with a insurmountable debt burden. If I had it my way, the term “government money” would be struck from every dictionary in the world. There is no such thing. There is only taxpayer money, earned through sweat and labour, which our government is charged with looking after in the most responsible manner possible. And they don’t.
Thanks for popping by to view my photographs. Hope you enjoy some of my favourite pics of whatever. And if you have a moment, feel free to drop me a line. 
the lazy photographer 
Be careful up there. I am ready for the switch!
It’s all over now but for the tears. You should hear the blathering going on up here. The protesters who just a couple of days ago were screaming the nastiest things you can imagine into the faces of cops in riot gear in an effort to provoke them are now bawling about how they were mistreated once the cops actually shut them down. I’m talking about the asshole anarchists not the peaceful protesters, although it’s the peaceful protester now up in arms since they were corralled in with the anarchists. While I do feel their pain, it’s very hard to have any sympathy for them. Even the peaceful ones were making threats in the news just a day or two before all hell broke loose.
Anyway, it’s nice to see the city getting back to normal again. In no time we’ll all be avoiding eye contact and going about our business of coldly ignoring those around us.
Hi. I was wondering if you’d witnessed any of this first hand. I’d heard about a journalist who was beaten by police when he identified himself as a journalist to a Police officer. Democracy Now!’s coverage of the arrest of 600 people at random was not heartening. Anarchists and infiltrators aside, it sounds like Toronto’s police force was working for something like a Billion dollar security price tag. Toronto did not sound like a nice place to be at all.
Is coldly avoiding eveyone normal for Toronto??? Your photos make it seem like a nicer place. Then again there was that guy on the sidewalk being ignored by passerbys…So what’s Toronto really like, Davey???
Leaving this link so you can read for yourself part of what has been reported.
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/6/29/headlines#6
No, I didn’t see the real trouble. It happened mostly the day before and because of the rain I didn’t bother going down. I think they detained something like 900 people, of which over half were released without charge within hours. The only people hurt, really, were those looking to get hurt as part of their agenda. From what I understand, the sane people in the crowd came away pretty much unscathed, save for the boredom of waiting to be released.
As for the billion dollar price tag for G20 security, I still can’t comprehend how anyone can justify that. I mean, why not simply hold the summit on a nice swanky cruise liner in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by a couple of navy vessels for protection. Certainly that would have cost far less, no?
There are ironies aplenty with what went on this weekend, such as:
1. The black bloc anarchists were running around with photos of famous communist despots, totally oblivious to the irony that if they tried to trash one of their cities they would have been shot on the spot.
2. If not for those same anarchists and other vandals maybe the security cost would have been far less and the money saved used for more productive purposes.
3. They chanted at the top of their lungs, “Democracy Now!” in protest against a group of people all democratically elected (well, almost all) by the people to represent the people. Meanwhile, these anarchists, who were not elected by anyone, hijacked the entire protest and distracted the media from the real protesters who were trying to get across their messages in a peaceful fashion.
4. By Saturday night the local media was up in arms that the cops weren’t doing enough to stop these scumbags from trashing our city. By Sunday night the same media were up in arms because the cops decided to do exactly what the media was calling on them to do the night before.
5. Most of those charged will now look to the same government and same democratic, socialist system they were condemning the night before for free legal aid.
6. By way of a tip, the cops raided a University of Toronto campus and found weapons and black block disguises. Seems our “system” they claim to detest so much isn’t all that bad when it’s time for a student loan or a taxpayer funded education. If it were me, everyone one of them (the guilty ones only, of course) would be banned for life from attending any publicly supported school in the province of Ontario.
7. The anti-government anarchists who antagonized and accosted the police, only to end up with a beating for their trouble, undoubtedly happily accepted free medical attention from the same government system they are fighting against.
8. Many of the shops that were vandalized were mom and pop stores, the very folks (the little guy) these anti-government anarchists supposedly represent, or I should say, have arbitrarily self appointed themselves to represent. Unlike real democracies, they don’t bother to see if anyone wants them speaking on their behalf.
That’s just some of the ironic and moronic things that took place this weekend here in Toronto. On the other hand, there were far far more peaceful protesters just trying to get their message out. Unfortunately, their message was blocked by smoke from the burning police cruisers, thanks to the anarchists.
I was all over the downtown core on Sunday and was searched twice. I spoke to maybe 20 to 30 cops along the way and I have to say that not only were they very professional and courteous, a few even helped me with my photography, telling me where I could find stuff that I might have missed otherwise. They didn’t just say Hi, but were quite willing to stop and chat at length. They are people just like the rest of us, with families and hobbies and dreams, etc. But in all fairness, I treat people with respect when I meet them and the police I met were keen on showing respect right back. I’m sure if I was either stupid enough, insane enough or misinformed about how the world works enough to start yelling “F*** PIGS!!!” into the faces of these same cops, I’d probably have a much different story to tell. Many of the left-wing socialist underground media have no problem getting the story they want to tell, even if it means resorting to provocation to get the results their looking for. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if they don’t have the story already in the can and then looking for how to make it come true.
Anyway, that’s only my opinion, of course. Your mileage may vary.
All in all, it was a pretty peaceful summit. Some people were wrongfully detained and inconvenienced, and for them I feel bad. Others got exactly what they came down to get, f*cked over and arrested. How can anyone feel bad for them? Most came down, did their thing, and went home unharmed. The cops did an amazing job, in my opinion. The only thing I can really be critical of is that the anarchists will undoubtedly be let go looong before they deserve to be and will not be financially held accountable for their actions. Ironically, the system they detest so much will ensure they get a fair trial and a slap on the wrist.
Sorry for the lengthy reply.
Oh thank you for the lengthy reply. I’m always curious about the perspectives of people who actually are ‘in’ a place in which events are happening. It’s hard to know just what’s what depending on who is telling ‘the story’. What I’ve found more disconcerting is the background story regarding these ‘leaders’ and their agendas for everyone. Now that gives me the creepers. What ‘we’ don’t know could be very dangerous.
Again, thanks for sharing your experiences and photos.
Thanks for reading it, 47WB. Yeah, I’m also very suspicious of the agendas our world leaders have, and am the first to admit that I’m not a “worldly” guy. Maybe if I travelled more I’d have more of a rounded perspective. From where I sit, we are taxed beyond comprehension while our leader throws our money at the various problems around the globe like it grows on trees. I often think, for right or wrong, why not use our money to fix our own problems before taking on the problems of others. Like the U.S. we too are running an incredible deficit. Borrowing more to throw at other countries will doom future generations here who will be saddled with a insurmountable debt burden. If I had it my way, the term “government money” would be struck from every dictionary in the world. There is no such thing. There is only taxpayer money, earned through sweat and labour, which our government is charged with looking after in the most responsible manner possible. And they don’t.