The G20 Summit was held in Toronto this weekend and leading up to this has been one major question - Why Toronto? One of the busiest cities in the world hosting an event such as this....????
Google G20 Toronto protests and many returns appear. Yesterday in Toronto was tense and unfortunately those 1,000s of peaceful protesters had their message overshadowed and lost by several splinter groups (Black Bloc) bent on vandalism and hooliganism, all in the name of anarchy. The very huge police and security force in Toronto responded, in many cases to a frightening degree. By the end of today approximately 600 people have been arrested and/or detained. After following the news today and several news sites, many of these arrests appear to be unwarranted and unnecessary.
Overreaction by the police/security forces? Definitely some questions will have to be answered and in the meantime I'm filled with a sense of sadness.
This is not the Canada and Toronto that I know and love. The video below, taken during a peaceful protest today made me want to cry. The protesters, completely hemmed in by police (some in riot gear) are singing "O Canada"..........and are charged by the police.
14 comments:
I watched the footage too and was disturbed. I expected the vandalism, anarchists show up every time one of these G8 groups gather...
What bothered me was what happened to legitimate protesters, who should have the right to make their voice heard. I found out the police had been given free reign to arrest or detain anyone they wanted without giving a reason..that's the disturbing part, because it sounds an awful lot like a 'police state' which instills fear in the public. I could be wrong, but this strikes me as 'big brother' tactics, which do not belong in Canada.
Hi Sue I saw this on Yahoo news and usually I don't click on the headlines but I had to because I couldn't believe it was happening in Toronto!!!! I was so distressed... This happened in Seattle a couple of years ago and it was so disturbing to me...
I'm sorry I don't know what to say....
But I love Canada and would be a citizen if they'd let me.....
Love AND Peace ~Pattee
Gosh, how terrible. I need to read more about this... bit out of the loop lately.
Thamks for sharing. I hope you have had a pleasant Sunday however.
I'm soo sorry, Sue.
AGH! First your earth shakes, then this...
Hang on Sue, this too shall pass. Know I'm thinking of you..
Bless you, bless you, bless you, Sue for putting this up on your blog..I does make me cry...so much fear in the world...our civil rights are slowly being taken from us...the right to gather in protest..to have our voices heard is no longer a freedom we are safe to express. Protesters of the killings on the Peace Flotilla are getting as much as 2 years prison time in England... Between the Summit, where they are deciding to place stronger sanctions against other nations...taking food and medicine from children..and the oil gusher in the Gulf have had me in tears everyday...some times I really do feel I've been dropped down the rabbit hole...By the way, I have seen no coverage of what has happened in Toronto...in America we experience a lot of news blackouts...scary stuff..
Chin up...we just need to keep speaking out in anyway we can...
I love you...xoxo
Oh Sue, this made me cry, too. I love Canada, and I adore Toronto (where I lived for a few years as a tiny tot). The police reaction did seem quite excessive for the circumstances. I'm so disturbed by so much of what is happening in the world today. . .
Peace and love to you,
xo
You are so right Sue, I saw this on the news here last night. It brought back the terrible memories of the WTO Riot when that was held here in Seattle a few years ago. Why is it our world seems to be turning more toward violence with each passing year? I know what you say when you talk about a Sad Heart.
You name is in the virtual hat!!!!
Love~Pattee
Oh, Sue. This makes me very sad, too. This is a crazy world we live in, that much is certain. But I have a lot of faith in you Canadians, and I am sure this is just an odd blip on the radar. Hang tough! xox! Pam
This is so disturbing.
We are all losing our freedom here too!
Our (so called) leaders would love nothing better than to have total control. :0(
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