nfitz
Superstar
That's the claim. Apparently the badge number he put on the paperwork, doesn't exist. It would be interesting to see the paperwork though.
|
|
|
G-20 Summit in Toronto
- Thread starter TO City of Light
- Start date
Roy G Biv
Senior Member
I agree with you. It'd the rape-victim-was-asking-for-it argument.
junctionist
Senior Member
Ordinary people have to do something to express how they feel about the world leaders meeting and making some of the most important decisions without public input, though often with corporate input. That sort of thing makes people very uneasy, evidently.
I hope that given the abuse demonstrated by the police towards ordinary citizens at this protest, future protests will be a lot bolder and louder. If G20 policing actually pacified these Canadians, it would be a brutal triumph of might over right. Many innocent people were physically abused and detained without reason but others were forced away from public places they were legally allowed to be in. It was peaceful people who were abused while the black bloc seemed to be granted lots of freedom by police.
Coltaine79
Active Member
Hilarious (well, not really).
Now, even the RIGHT WING writers in the press are pointing out that something was not right with the police response to the G20 in Toronto.
http://www.thestar.com/news/torontog20summit/article/902664--a-second-look-at-g20-police-assault
Also, I notice that Paikin testified in the House of Commons yesterday... interesting, although I didn't keep track of that story.
If the end result of all this is that simply Blair is forced into early retirement... I won't be satisfied. It's the actual uniformed thugs who committed those assaults who need to be let go (and without a pension) for justice to prevail.
And they should completely sever any connections the SIU has with the police forces. There should be absolutely zero conflict of interest between SIU and a police force. If that means firing all of the members and hiring new ones who've never served on a police force... so be it.
Now, even the RIGHT WING writers in the press are pointing out that something was not right with the police response to the G20 in Toronto.
http://www.thestar.com/news/torontog20summit/article/902664--a-second-look-at-g20-police-assault
Also, I notice that Paikin testified in the House of Commons yesterday... interesting, although I didn't keep track of that story.
If the end result of all this is that simply Blair is forced into early retirement... I won't be satisfied. It's the actual uniformed thugs who committed those assaults who need to be let go (and without a pension) for justice to prevail.
And they should completely sever any connections the SIU has with the police forces. There should be absolutely zero conflict of interest between SIU and a police force. If that means firing all of the members and hiring new ones who've never served on a police force... so be it.
nfitz
Superstar
The front two pages of today's Star were virutally all about the G20 police brutality. In addition to DiManno's article at the top of page with a size 72 font headline, on page 2 is an article about Steve Paikin's testimony to the House of Commons about the police brutality he witnessed.
This comes after the Toronto Star last week called on Blair to resign.
I don't see how Blair can do anything but, given how many times he has lied and tried to mislead the media.
This comes after the Toronto Star last week called on Blair to resign.
I don't see how Blair can do anything but, given how many times he has lied and tried to mislead the media.
Danielinthecity
Active Member
A Man Who Cannot Disobey Is A Slave
Ya, people have no right to speak and protest! Where the hell do they think they are...living in some sort of a democracy with rights guaranteed under some constitution! When the police and politicians say jump, we should respond with 'How high, Sir?"
A Man Who Cannot Disobey Is A Slave
First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.
by Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945
Ya, people have no right to speak and protest! Where the hell do they think they are...living in some sort of a democracy with rights guaranteed under some constitution! When the police and politicians say jump, we should respond with 'How high, Sir?"
A Man Who Cannot Disobey Is A Slave
First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.
by Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945
Darwinkgo
Active Member
Comparing the G-20 summit detentions and violence to the Holocaust is distasteful.
nfitz
Superstar
I don't think anyone has done that.
Darwinkgo
Active Member
Using that poem does.
Dilla
Senior Member
^ Let's not be so sensitive. The poem isn't just about the Holocaust, it's about complacency when "others" rights are trampled on (hence the quote of Beez's post); how these things all start with the thin end of the wedge, etc. It's a lesson which applies to a lot of things.
Would you say someone was being offensive to blacks for quoting Martin Luther King to make a point about anything but the civil rights movement in the USA?
Would you say someone was being offensive to blacks for quoting Martin Luther King to make a point about anything but the civil rights movement in the USA?
Last edited:
Peepers
Banned
Actually the right wing press has been most vocal condemning Bill Blair. The Toronto Sun's Joe Warmington has been writing stinging attacks on Blair beginning days after the G20 concluded. He has just posted his sharpest attack ever !
Time for police chief to resign
By JOE WARMINGTON TORONTO SUN
http://www.torontosun.com/news/columnists/joe_warmington/2010/12/07/16465861.html
And its not just Joe Warmington at the Sun. The Editorial board of the Sun had this to say.
"A police source told the Toronto Sun’s Joe Warmington, “The chief has lost the room.â€
On this one, the chief has lost us"
http://www.torontosun.com/comment/editorial/2010/11/30/16379696.html
The Toronto Sun has been arguably the most pro-police media outlet. When a Chief of Police loses their support it can't be long before he is shown the door.
Danielinthecity
Active Member
Thank you, Dilla...you're right...my point was not to offend anyone, but simply to point out - as you already indicated - that it can be way to easy for us to forget certain lessons of history, and thereby repeat them. I recently heard about an article (which I'm hoping to find) about a professor who has analyzed the social, economic and political climate prior to the rise of nazism and compared it to the last number of years in North America, and argues that there are many similiarities between both periods, and thereby warns that we are currently on a fascist trajectory. Jane Jacobs in one of her last interview also expressed concern about something she called a collective social amnesia or something like that...I forget exactly what her wording was...if anyone can remember, please remind me.
The fact that there are more than just a few people who seem to think there was nothing wrong with what the police did and instead somehow impart blame on people doing what they have a constitutional right to do (I'm NOT referring to the criminals) is to me - a cause for concern. And when I see someone wearing a poppy yet 'mindlessly' defending the police 'no matter what' by saying things like, 'they shouldn't have been down there if they didn't want trouble', makes me wonder if they understand WHY those kids gave their lives...I remember learning in elementary that it has something to do with 'protecting' our freedoms, not trampling on them.
Dilla
Senior Member
Despite the violence at the G20, Blair overall isn't considered a "tough guy" cop. Blair was hand picked by Miller, and isn't the type of police chief a lot of right-wingers are into. Remember the Tamil protests which were allowed to go on? A lot of people (particularly the right) weren't too happy to see the police standing by letting protesters stand on the Gardiner.
I don't think Ford would mind getting to choose his own chief of police in the slightest; perhaps one who'll say 100 new cops isn't nearly enough? One that will use the term "hug a thug" at every given opportunity, and the some?
Admiral Beez
Superstar
Having watched and views the G20 photos and videos I have to say I'm coming around to thinking there were some really nasty, excessively violent cops that day. Getting rid of Blair and replacing him with a McCormack or Fantino type won't solve this though, since under policing legislation and collective agreements the chief can't touch officers that act above the law, break the rules on names and badge numbers, etc.
Admiral Beez
Superstar
All Torontonians should have been outraged by the Tamil takeover of the downtown and Gardiner. The vast majority of the protestors weren't from Sri Lanka at all, and instead seemed to be young, Canadian-born folks taking their immigrant parents' causes. I'm a British-born Canadian myself, if some civil war were to break out tomorrow in the UK, I would not expect my Canadian-born children to takeover Toronto's streets in protest. For starters, what would they be protesting, what did Canada do?