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G20 Happenings Thread... (pg. 38)
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| Intangible |
| quote: | Originally posted by ChemEnhanced
you see...people I know would be smart enough to stay the away from toronto for the weekend.
I am sure there is a lot more to the story then "I was just walking home from work and got detained."
These people could have easily stayed away from areas of concern. They could have taken other routes to get to where they were going. |
+1
I felt that it was my duty to Toronto to stay away from areas of risk this weekend. I would have loved to check out the riot - but why make matters even more complicated for the police? Sunday I walked down yonge street but after speaking to police and learning of their concerns for the area I opted to walk up annother street when returning home.... It's called using your head and being respectful to the situation.
People should have the right to protest but after Saturdays mishap I think it's fair for the police to be overly cautious.... especially when weapons and masks were found. My motto this whole weekend... beter safe than sorry....
Up until Sunday night I was very impressed with all the actions of the Police. The Queen and Spadina situation got messy and peoples rights (food, shelter, going to the bathroom...) were violted. I do understand the police's concerns, I just wish it could have been handeled faster. |
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| Abercrombie |
| quote: | Originally posted by E2EK1EL
I'm suprised the Tamils didn't join in and protest why Canada didn't help them. That cause so much more damage and would justify the 1 billion security price tag. |
Tamils were there, but were peaceful, and stuck to the march route.
Some of these 'peaceful' protesters however didn't;
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| ChemEnhanced |
If the so called peaceful protesters really wanted to make sure this was a peaceful protest...then they would have put a stop to the bad eggs themselves and assisted the police officers in making sure the proper people were arrested.
Where are these so called peaceful protesters today...oh wait....they all went bye bye until the next meeting of minds. If they really are so passionate about their causes then they should be marching up and down parliment every day and taking non-stop actions to get their message heard. I bet if I take a drive through Toronto today I won't see one person walking around with a sign.
This weekend was nothing more then a chance to cause disguised under a protest....they figure the more news attention they get the more their message gets out...unfortunately the opposite affect has happened. I don't know what anyone was standing for. Hell some of the interviews of people who came here from Quebec just proved the people had no idea why they were here other than to cause .
The truly peaceful protesters were in the minority here and if they truly cared about their causes they would have protested on their own outside of this area. Just look at the protests in Huntsville....you didn't here anything about riots there or arrests there....because they were the truly peaceful protesters who actually care about their causes. |
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| Endlesswave |
| quote: | Originally posted by ChemEnhanced
you see...people I know would be smart enough to stay the away from toronto for the weekend.
I am sure there is a lot more to the story then "I was just walking home from work and got detained."
These people could have easily stayed away from areas of concern. They could have taken other routes to get to where they were going. |
Areas of concern like ALL of downtown or even further north?
What if I lived ON Queen St and went to work and was on my way home?
I should've called in sick? BS, some people can't afford to do that.
That's like a protest being held across the street from my house at the park and me walking home getting arrested. Oh but Chris you should've gone a different route to your house (or not gone home at all?), it's my house! Wtf, I'm supposed to rent a hotel room for 2 nights until it's over? No middle ground eh?
You guys who are pro police and ALL the protesters or people who live in the area only see extremes and no balanced approach to things? What would you do if a protest was happening NEXT to your house and you wanted to go home after work? |
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| Intangible |
| quote: | Originally posted by Endlesswave
Areas of concern like ALL of downtown or even further north?
What if I lived on Queen St and went to work and was on my way home?
I should've called in sick? BS, some people can't afford to do that. |
If you were on your way home police would have stopped you before nearing the protest and explained the situation. (I had this happen to me on yonge st). They would explain where its blocked off and for you to avoid the area...
Find another way home.... |
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| hardcore trancer |
| quote: | Originally posted by The Highroller
That's because it hasn't affected them yet. For any of those who think this heavy handed policing is justified, just wait until it affects you and then we'll see what you have to say about it. |
This whole attitude from some Canadians is a shock to me since many of them who came here are from countries with no freedom of speach and lots and lots of human rights violations and yet they support the Police's behaviour towards our people. |
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| FunkyCrew |
| quote: | Originally posted by Endlesswave
Areas of concern like ALL of downtown or even further north?
What if I lived on Queen St and went to work and was on my way home?
I should've called in sick? BS, some people can't afford to do that. |
North of College was fine for the most part, so was Lakeshore |
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| ChemEnhanced |
| quote: | Originally posted by Endlesswave
Areas of concern like ALL of downtown or even further north?
What if I lived on Queen St and went to work and was on my way home?
I should've called in sick? BS, some people can't afford to do that. |
No, but you could have found a way to get home that would have kept you away from areas where there was protest and police build up. You could have maybe ask for a taxi to pick you up at work or ask someone else to drive you home or found some other way that would have prevented you from being associated with possible protesters. |
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| Intangible |
| quote: | Originally posted by hardcore trancer
This whole attitude from some Canadians is a shock to me since many of them who came here are from countries with no freedom of speach and lots and lots of human rights violations and yet they support the Police's behaviour towards our people. |
It was for a few days...
"better safe than sorry" "drastic measures for drastic times"
If this was to continue into everyday Canadian life I would be livid, but for a few days I can be understanding. |
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| exraver |
| quote: | Originally posted by hardcore trancer
This whole attitude from some Canadians is a shock to me since many of them who came here are from countries with no freedom of speach and lots and lots of human rights violations and yet they support the Police's behaviour towards our people. |
At least they don't have hundreds of marauders torching cars and rummaging thru city. |
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| Endlesswave |
| quote: | Originally posted by ChemEnhanced
No, but you could have found a way to get home that would have kept you away from areas where there was protest and police build up. You could have maybe ask for a taxi to pick you up at work or ask someone else to drive you home or found some other way that would have prevented you from being associated with possible protesters. |
That all depends on where you live. (seriously). If I lived on Queen right where the police were, how could you say find another way home? I LIVE EXACTLY at a certain place on that street. |
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| The Highroller |
| quote: | URGENT: Conditions at 629 Eastern Ave. Illegal, Immoral, Dangerous
28
JUN
WE ARE CALLING AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IN THE MEANTIME, DISTRIBUTE THIS LINK AS WIDELY AS POSSIBLE.
We (i.e., Justin Giovannetti and Lex Gill) are both able and willing to testify in front of a court of law, tribunal or hearing to attest to the validity of these statements. Much of this is now recorded on video and we have some contact information for the victims. We will NOT consent to contact with any police representatives (municipal, provincial, or federal) nor will we consent to speaking to other security agencies (CSIS, Canadian Forces, etc.). We can be contacted at lex.gill [at] gmail [dot] com, or jackgiovannetti [at] gmail [dot] com.
We just got back to our computers and are frantically writing this message. It is 4:45 a.m. on Monday morning. We are the only people who seem to know the extent of this story. Coffee and adrenaline keeping us going. When we got to Queen and Spadina after leaving the Convergence Centre raid today, we had already been blocked off by police lines. It was pouring rain, and we could hear a confrontation taking place further down the street. The cops didn’t care whether or not we were media — in fact, we heard that media was forced to leave before we arrived. Police acted violently and with sheer disregard for the law, attacking peaceful protesters and civilians unrelated to the protest. Tired, frantic, and feeling defeated, we came home and posted the message before this one.
We then did the only thing left to do, and headed to 629 Eastern Avenue (the G20 Detention Centre, a converted film studio), where detainees from the demonstrations were being taken. We knew people were being released sporadically so we grabbed as many juice boxes and granola bars as we could afford and set off with medical supplies. Journalists were basically absent, showed up only to take a few seconds of video, or simply arrived far too late to be effective.
It is next to impossible to set the scene of what happened at the Detention Centre. Between the two of us we estimate that we spoke to over 120 people, most of whom were released between 9:30 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. Despite not knowing each other, the story they tell is the same. It goes like this. Most were arrested at three locations: the Novotel on Saturday evening where the police arrested hundreds of peaceful protesters (look @spaikin on Twitter); Spadina/Queen’s Park all day Saturday and early Sunday, as people were arrested all over the downtown for many different (and often bogus) reasons; and the University of Toronto, where hundreds of Quebecers and others were woken up and arrested at gun point early Saturday morning.
What follows is a list, as detailed as we can make it in a blog post, of what we saw and heard.
People were held for up to 35 hours with a single meal. None seemed to have received food more than twice daily, the meal they did receive was a hamburger bun with processed cheese and margarine described as a centimeter thick. Detainees had to create loud noises for hours to receive any food at all. All reported feeling more ill and dehydrated after eating than before. Some vomited and received no medical attention when they did. Water was not provided with the meal.
Inadequate water, as little as an ounce every 12 hours. Although some people reported receiving approximately an ounce (a small Dixie cup) of water every three hours, most seemed to have received far less than that. They had to create loud noises and continuously demand water, only to receive it up to an hour and a half later. Sometimes rooms with over a dozen people were only given a handful (four or five) cups of water and forced to share. Some reported the water as yellow-coloured and smelling of urine, which they didn’t drink.
Facilities over-capacity. There were many reports of “cages” filled with 40 people, though a police officer told one detainee that they were intended for groups of no more than 15 to 20. Each cage had a single bench, with only enough seating for five people. There was only one toilet in each cage and it was without a door. Women were creating barriers with their bodies for others to create some semblance of privacy.
Major delays in processing. Many detainees were told that the only reason they remained at the Centre was due to unexplained delays in processing. Most detainees seemed to go through a three step system whereby they were put in an initial holding cell, only to be moved to a second cell after meeting a Staff Sergeant in a board room. This is where they were told what they were arrested for. Eventually they were moved to a third cell before release. This process seemed to take no less than 10 hours. Others were never told why they were arrested and never signed any documents. A few were released immediately upon arriving at the Centre and were never processed. Some were never brought to a cell, only made to wait in a line to be let out.
Inconsistent charges. Groups arrested at the same time and for the same behaviour were given different charges, with some let out and others given court dates. Many felt the police simply assigned a charge or did not know why they were being arrested. Some charges were changed or dropped before the detainees were released.
People put in solitary confinement. Most of the openly queer detainees reported to have been transferred to a “Segregated Zone.” In cages built for one, couples of men and women were held. A lesbian is reported to have spent nearly 10 hours alone. Another woman said she was kept alone in a large cell for hours, asking to be moved the whole time.
No pillows or mattresses to sleep. No bedding was ever provided for detainees, who were told to sleep on bare concrete floors. Detainees were stripped of all but a single shirt and legwear. Many said they could not sleep during their day long detentions.
Unsanitary and unsafe living conditions. Many of the floors of the cages were covered with dirt and the residue from green paintballs used to identify suspects in crowds. Vomit was also on the floor and no cleaning of the cages took place.
Police intimidation of released detainees. With many of the detainees released and standing across the street from the detention centre, getting food and water from community volunteers while waiting for friends, police stood menacingly across the road. Almost all the detainees were frightened by the police presence and feared an attack. The police used the headlights of rental Dodge Caravans to light up the crowd, citing a need to “keep them visible.”
Non-stop light exposure/loss of natural light rhythm/sensory deprivation. Detainees emerged with a broken day/night cycle, being deprived of all connection to the outside world or any other time-based events (ie. set eating times). While in their cages, detainees were subject to constant light.
Exposure to extreme cold. Detainees complained of the air conditioning in the building being very high. Many of them said that they were frozen and asked for blankets, a request which was always refused. Due to having only a single layer of shirt and sleeping on concrete floors, the cages were extremely cold.
Sexual harassment of women and Queer people. We heard many first-hand accounts of cat-calls and crude sexual comments directed at women from police officers at the Centre. Some women faced inappropriate sexual contact (including one girl who was forced to endure a police officer covering her body with detainee number stickers in order to touch her), and rough handling from police officers. Openly Queer boys were told to “straighten up,” and there was at least one completely nude strip search preformed on a young woman with no reasonable explanation. It is unclear whether the strip searches that took place were consistently conducted by members of the same gender. It is also unclear as to whether any Transpeople, if detained, were put in cells of a gender of their own determination or in cells of a police gender assignment.
Youth as young as 15 in adult cells. Youth (under 18) detainees were held in the same cells as adults, some of whom had not been charged at all (and thus it could not be justified that they were being held on adult charges). A 16-year-old was held in an adult cell for at least 12 hours, the police were fully aware of his age, and his parents were at no point contacted.
Denial of legal counsel. When detainees asked to see lawyers they were told that they would receive legal counsel at a later time or at the time of processing. Often, these times went by and no legal counsel was provided. Those released without charge were told to avoid contacting lawyers. Most detainees said they were never informed of their rights.
No phone call. About only one in ten of the detainees we spoke to had been given access to a phone. Others were promised access at a later time and never received it. There was a father waiting outside for his 20-year old son who had been arrested Saturday afternoon or evening, and had yet to receive a call. Many of the detainees were told that only 20 phones were available in the building, holding over 500 detainees at the time. The offices of legal counsel also had no landlines.
Belonging stolen/damaged. Most detainees reported that at least some of their confiscated belongings were not returned to them, including passports, wallets, credit and debit cards, money, cellphones and clothing. When detainees were escorted outside the Centre, many were made to walk on the street without access to their shoes (sealed in thick plastic bags only returned at the limit of the Centre’s property). Some shoes were missing entirely. At least one extremely visually impaired detainee’s glasses were put with his belongings and were severely damaged when he recovered them (ie. broken in half).
Threats of assault/harassment. Many detainees, but especially French Canadian detainees (who were not served in French), were taunted and threatened with assault. Homophobic slurs were used by guards and one was told that if he was ever seen again in Toronto the cop would attack him. Other degrading comments were made, including telling detainees that they “looked like dogs.”
Obviously illegal civilian arrests. Some civilians who were completely uninvolved in the demonstrations were arrested while exiting subway stations in the downtown core. Some were arrested after illegal searches of cars turned up “dangerous goods” (like books about activism and lemon juice). One fully-uniformed TTC streetcar driver was arrested for hours. He had been ordered out of his streetcar by riot police and was immediately arrested. We wish we were kidding.
No access to medication or medical treatment. While doing medical support, Lex met at least two people who had been denied medication. The first was a woman who said that she was pre-diabetic and needed medication for nausea and dizziness. She was denied access to medical treatment, despite the fact that by the time Lex found her she was extremely faint, barely conscious, and had difficulty sitting up. The second was a young man who was prescribed anti-psychotics and had missed several doses (he did not, however, have an episode at the time Lex met him). We heard stories of at least one person with Type 2 diabetes inside the Centre who had been deprived of insulin and fell unconscious. Many stories of a man handcuffed to a wheelchair, missing a leg (and his prosthetic) came from the released detainees. One recently-released detainee had four extremely poorly done stitches on his chin and was uncertain as to what shots (whether tetanus or anesthetic, or both) he was given. He was given the stitches at the time of his arrest and the wound was still bleeding badly (we had to sterilize it and applied gauze).
AbandonmentDespite all of the above mentioned crimes against detainees, most notably including medical issues, the Toronto Police had no plan for the detainees after they were released. They were simply escorted off the property and told to leave. Many had no idea where they were, had no access to a phone, had not eaten in a day, had no identification or money on their person, and were nowhere near mass transit. Had community volunteers and fellow released detainees not been present to assist them, we fear that some could have faced life-threatening medical emergencies or death.
We will be continually updating this blog over the next few weeks. Please share this with everyone you possibly can. People must know what has happened in Toronto. For those of you attending the Jail Solidarity rally tomorrow, please distribute this link widely.
QUICK UPDATE: Its been five hours since we posted this entry and it’s climbing by hundreds of hits every half hour. According to those on the ground, detainees leaving the Centre seem to now be avoiding the group of supporters outside waiting for them. We fear this is due to police intimidation within 629 Eastern Ave.. If anyone has further reports, please post in the comment section.
Thank you.
For Justice,
Justin Giovannetti and Lex Gill |
http://lexgill.com/2010/06/28/urgen...oral-dangerous/
Most of these injustices were witnessed or encountered by two people that I know personally who were detained at this detention center. |
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