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G20 Happenings Thread... (pg. 39)
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| Endlesswave |
| quote: | Originally posted by Intangible
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. |
I understand the security standpoint but it shouldn't have happened in the first place. |
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| jon jon |
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/edit...its-people?bn=1
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"G20 Editorial: Brutal spectacle failed a city and its people"
By John Cruickshank Publisher, the Toronto Star
The G20 security strategy has been spectacularly successful at cocooning the world’s leading politicians and staggeringly ineffective at protecting the property and peace of mind of Torontonians. And the one, inevitably, led to the other.
By bringing in thousands of heavily armed strangers and throwing up barricades everywhere to regular traffic, frightening off good and decent citizens, Canadian authorities created a ghost town in the heart of our city.
Perfect for the political leaders. Protesters were kept blocks away from where the deliberations were going on.
And most protesters conducted themselves faultlessly as the global good and great met behind rings of gulag-like fencing and battalions of police beating Plexiglas shields with batons in a primitive show of might.
It was, however, less than perfect for the city, its businesses and its inhabitants. The only force that can prevent vandalism and mayhem in a city is the presence of its population. Surely that was the lesson every urban planner learned from looking south to the hollowed-out urban war zones of the United States in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
No police force, no matter how large, how well armed, how empowered to limit the civil rights of citizens, can stop vandalism in the empty shell of a city. Canadian authorities have proved that two days and nights running.
The strategy that ensured G20 leaders would never have to see a Canadian who wasn’t a politician, a police officer or a waiter lacked even a glimmer of common sense when it came to the security of Toronto and Torontonians.
They took our city to hold a meeting and bullied us out of the core, damaging the commerce of thousands of merchants and inconveniencing the entire population. Then, they failed to protect our property. Along Yonge St., as self-described anarchists were smashing stores unopposed, terrified merchants and their staffs sought shelter behind counters and in basements. If these establishments had been set alight, all of the thousands of fearsomely equipped police would have been able to do little more to save our citizens than they did to save their burning cruisers.
For the last few days, the city has looked like a vast reality TV set, where heavily garbed gladiators in black, burdened under bullet-proof vests, guns, walkie-talkies, shields and batons, try to chase down a wild, quick-footed band of anti-gladiators in black sweat suits and bandanas. And it cost us $1.2-billion to stage and choreograph this grossly unequal contest.
Canadian authorities knew that this overweening show of paramilitary hubris would draw the violent dregs of nihilism from around the world. Previous summits offered stark and certain warnings. Given that, the attempt to provide security for the city and its inhabitants has been a sad and disturbing failure.
What is the critical lesson?
Don’t even try to hold international political conferences with this kind of explosive ideological charge in the heart of a major urban centre. You sacrifice either the safety of the politicians or the safety of the city.
The idea that this was an effective way to show off Toronto to foreign guests is bewilderingly stupid.
Canadian authorities created a city no citizen could recognize and no visitor could admire. Then, they allowed a pack of brutes to trash it.
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| hardcore trancer |
| quote: | Originally posted by FunkyCrew
are you ing kidding me?! have you seen what the they have done to OUR city?! dude open your eyes and stop defending the tards who passed through Toronto like a ing soccer mob and destroyed for NO reason whatsoever! I'm all for publically flogging these s. People like you and me?! No sir they are much lower on the food chain. |
y !!!!:) You just dont see my point and you are having a tunnel vision towards to the whole thing Kris. You puting the entire people of protester on the same page as the few violet ones and I believe that is the wrong way of looking at it. Many of these people were there for a good cause trying to bring out changes to our lives.
You dont see it that way and that is ok but please dont lable all of them as "tards". Also where/when did I say I support those violent protestors and their actions ? |
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| Intangible |
| quote: | Originally posted by Endlesswave
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. |
What if (not during g20) there was a fire at the apartment next to yours and you were walking home to find out your apartment was blocked off...
Go find somewhere else to chill until the situation improves.
happens. Safety first.
Be understanding. |
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| ChemEnhanced |
| 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. |
I've been pulled over by police because I was driving a vehicle similar to one some drove off in from a domestic dispute call. I wasn't even close to the area where the domestic dispute happened and they held me there for a half hour before they even told me why I was being held at the side of the 401. After another half hour they let me go. I think they were more then justified in pulling me over and questioning me about a possible domestic violence issue....sure they probably held me longer then they should have but I wasn't going to get pissy about it. |
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| ChemEnhanced |
| quote: | Originally posted by hardcore trancer
y !!!!:) You just dont see my point and you are having a tunnel vision towards to the whole thing Kris. You puting the entire people of protester on the same page as the few violet ones and I believe that is the wrong way of looking at it. Many of these people were there for a good cause trying to bring out changes to our lives.
You dont see it that way and that is ok but please dont lable all of them as "tards". Also where/when did I say I support those violent protestors and their actions ? |
The people who truly want to try and make change would not have been in that crowd of people. I would think they would be smart enough to know that no message is getting through to anyone in a situation like that. I'm sorry but the police have to put all these protesters on the same page...for the safety of all citizens. |
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| Endlesswave |
| quote: | Originally posted by Intangible
What if (not during g20) there was a fire at the apartment next to yours and you were walking home to find out your apartment was blocked off...
Go find somewhere else to chill until the situation improves.
happens. Safety first.
Be understanding. |
A fire is different than a mob of cops and retarded aggressive protesters preventing me from walking down the street simply to go home.
If I'm just WALKING and not causing ruckus, I deserve an arrest simply for being there? You'd feel differently if you were arrested/detained. |
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| Intangible |
| quote: | Originally posted by Endlesswave
A fire is different than a mob of cops and retarded aggressive protesters preventing me from walking down the street simply to go home.
If I'm just WALKING and not causing ruckus, I deserve an arrest simply for being there? You'd feel differently if you were arrested/detained. |
I wouldnt be walking in that area... I would respect the cops and avoid it |
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| Endlesswave |
| quote: | Originally posted by ChemEnhanced
The people who truly want to try and make change would not have been in that crowd of people. I would think they would be smart enough to know that no message is getting through to anyone in a situation like that. I'm sorry but the police have to put all these protesters on the same page...for the safety of all citizens. |
Wrong.
The police should have targeted those that were there to stir up BS. The black bloc anarchists etc, there was a huge group of them, where were the cops when they started torching cop cars or when they went a complete different direction than the peaceful protesters?
They took action too little too late against innocent people.
Grouping all protesters into one category for the sake of 'safety' and convenience trumps our rights as ordinary citizens to protest and voice our opinions?
The moment this happens even once is a travesty for our democracy. |
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| FunkyCrew |
| quote: | Originally posted by ChemEnhanced
The people who truly want to try and make change would not have been in that crowd of people. I would think they would be smart enough to know that no message is getting through to anyone in a situation like that. I'm sorry but the police have to put all these protesters on the same page...for the safety of all citizens. |
+1 - nothing to add there. |
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| Endlesswave |
| quote: | Originally posted by Intangible
I wouldnt be walking in that area... I would respect the cops and avoid it |
I'm going home, I'm not there to stir up BS, if it was happening by your house you'd avoid your own place? For how long?
If the G20 was happening for a week would you leave the city for an entire week and spend your hard earned $ on that b/c of it? That's ludicrous... |
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| Endlesswave |
| The cops should have done a better job in arresting the real idiots and those destroying property rather than blanket arresting everyone, you're cops, you're trained at doing similar things in your line of work. |
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