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Download Flash Player to view this content. Part 8 of 8: Now that it's all over...
Gillian Findlay interviews Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair. |
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 Gillian Findlay first reported for the fifth estate from 1990-91. Prior to that, Findlay spent 12 years with CBC TV News, beginning as a general assignment reporter … Read more Connect with the fifth estate
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I'm with you Heather! Tax time coming up...... or is it??? There's a REAL protest.
Harper et al need to be arrested for TREASON. (for those of you who don't get it, look it up.)
You really need to do more research before you open your mouth! Canada spend a BILLION dollars on 'security' for an old boys club meeting. That's right, a chosen few deciding policy for the entire globe. We don't pay our politicians to make policy outside the country. Don't you get it??? We are being sold out and people like you need to understand or shut up. These protesters are fighting for your rights too!
your right Jaydene neither Premier McGuinty Bill Blair or Prime minister Harper has the right to say "no" to the public inqiry.By allowing the G20 atrocities to take place these three numbskulls have awoken the sleeping giant. The peaceful,complacent,tongue in cheek Canadian who would never consider protesting let alone saying s--t even if their mouths were full of it.
I watched this last night and I'm absolutely shocked at the level of violence demonstrated against these people. Democracy? Where? These police men/women should not be a part of our forces. They brutalized these people. DISGUSTING AND OUTRAGEOUS!
From Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984):
First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
It must have taken a lot of planning, time & money (hundreds of millions of dollars?) to get 10,000 policemen identified, recruited, trained & equipped (with universal US riot gear) BEFORE the G20 Summit occurred. Perhaps, the 'Black Blocs' were agents-provocateurs used to justify all this massive & secret effort to turn Canada into a police state. Did anyone see one of these infamous 'terrorists' in the lockups - if not, why not?
the question is why were they forced to move? they were peacefully protesting, we have the right to protest are we only to protest when & where the police want us to & on this weekend where would that have been? obviously not anywhere in Toronto,
CBC did a very good job with this presentation but for anyone who would like to see additional coverage there is a 2 hour youtube video called “(2010 MOVIE) Toronto G20 EXPOSED - Original Full-Length”. It demonstrates some concepts that a few commenters (thankfully a small minority) seem to be unfamiliar with or oblivious to, like: agent provocateur, the disreputable Public Works Protection Act, stand down orders, free speech zone, New World Order, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, illegal search and seizure, unlawful detainment, psychological torture and so on. We must not forget G8/G20 and continue to speak out against how police abused innocent Canadians while standing down during the brief period of vandalism.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZxkAn-g4Xo&feature=player_embedded
Another Conservative supporter. You guys can rationalize anything as long as you personally 'get ahead'.
Is there any lawyer out there (this is the CBC after all) who can tell us clearly who was in charge of the police. Great that people hate Harper but suppose the President of Iran shows up and says "hang the gays" do the police do his bidding?. My point is: can we all concentrate on the boss - who is it? If people go all over the place then the real boss is not made accountable (and that is what he wants)
knowing CBC news only carries partial truth, I went on the web and it took me to youtube. The images horrified me, I honestly sat watching holding my stomach and rocking THIS IS NOT MY CANADA. Weeks and weeks I got to hear how the protesters were violent and deserved what they got. I couldn't understand why no one would tell the truth, my heart ached for the protesters not only was the mainstream news telling lies but the public was angry at them for trying to get the truth out. Why is no government standing up for these people or Canadian's rights? The Real News.com has been speaking out for protesters and you can watch many many or their stories. The real news always tells the WHOLE story.
CHECK THE REAL NEWS.COM
I was disappointed in the Fifth's Estate program on the G20. It was so obviously biased against the police. A G20 summit is inherently a tense situation due to the arena provided for protesters. Attending such an event, even as an observer, carries definite risks and my sympathy for people caught up in the physical results is limited. The police were very challenged to strike a balance between protecting citizens and allowing peaceful demonstrations. Little mention was made in your program of the terrible vandalism that occurred and which some business owners are still recovering from. We expect so much from our police forces yet can be so quick to judge and criticize. Your program was certainly not helpful in this regard. I would have expected much fairer reporting by the Fifth Estate. [Please know that I am not a police officer, nor married to one, nor related to one.]
EXPOSED! G20 Toronto Police Agent Provocateurs.
Look it up on google video or youtube. This is almost always the case at peaceful protests.
They do this as an excuse to arrest and attack peaceful protesters. We need to expose the undercover police when they engage in this deception! Good police officers should also expose this, as their reputation is at stake.
Why don't you cover the well documented fact that it was undercover police causing the vandalism?
First, anarchist are not anarchists because they are unhappy with what they have done in their lives, but because they are unhappy with the capitalistic horrors of our society. Second, I am not only questioning whether the police did their job or not, I am implying they are the ones who planted disruptive elements in order to use their lovely built-for-this-purpose gulag and distract from the more important issue of exposing the G 20 for what they are. Which unfortunately worked. As for the use of agents provocateurs, please do not tell me you are too naive to acknowledge that this tactic has been used over and over by police states... and Canada was a police state on that day...
Pretty insane time at G20 I remember, you could feel the fear in the air mixed with our collective state of denial during and after the event. The cops themselves still seem to be in their own denial about events, drawing into question their overall maturity to deal with regular people, not hardened criminals. The Sgt Russell funeral spectacle is another sad reminder that the cops can't realistically face that they aren't always heroes in every case, and sometimes their interactions are more pointless or ridiculous than the myth meant to elevate their glory. How cops continue to blame rape victims is another case in point of an infantile mindset that needs to be investigated. Their respect for regular people amidst the pointless respect they demand needs to be critically checked out to find out just what kind of culture they are engineering.
The cops (ie Bill Blair) are seeming a little too like a Sterling Hayden portrayal of ultra patriotic paranoia in the ranks of enforcement.
We need to face our cancer and not pretend it doesn't exist.
Having just watched this documentary I am shocked by the way Canada has sunk to the same depths of militarism and police brutality that exists in lesser democratic states. The police completely overreacted to the situation, based on the oxymoron described by Bill Blair as police intel. Bill Blair should be fired and put on trial as a traitor. Why did the police have name tags and badges removed if not to prevent them from being identified? His force bullied protesters and trumped up charges of breach of peace and still 8 months later no one has been held to account.
Beware Stephan Harper's increase in security budget of 21%. We need schools and hospitals, not more prisons. We have been told the crime rate is dropping, so what are these prison for? arresting one legged men who peacefully protest what they don't agree with? Harper should also be asked the same hard questions. Most charges have been dropped, which tells us they were not legitimate.
Good for the leaders of the democratic countries for speaking up against the abuse of power by the rulers of Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, et al but how can they condemn those abuses with a straight face when they have not spoken up about the abuse of power in Toronto at the G20 protests? What hope is there for democracy when this is allowed to happen?
The title of your program the smile that title was said with is deplorable. When our charter rights are stolen away and our neighbors and children are beaten, abducted, stripped, and caged illegally there should have been 20 million more people in Toronto on the streets to witness this travesty.
The story wasn't bad but the title suggests abuse victims are at fault for peaceful protests which are enshrined as legal. I hope at least 100 officers end up in jail for these horrendous acts.
Spain had protests that month in dozens of cities many police cars were burned and less than 30 people were arrested, a thousand people and only a dozen charged means thousands of people were kidnapped and forcibly confined. Theses crimes carry heavy sentences.
"how un-Canadian this all was" - 5th Estate interviewee
Days before and miles from the G20, going about my regular Thurs. early a.m. affairs, driving on a main Toronto street near my home, I was aggressively detained by not the Toronto Police, but extraordinarily by the OPP. A complaint to an OPP sergeant had me learn this aggressive behaviour was a "new normal". The "stealth" vehicle was backed up by two motorcyclists. The main officer involved, not in the manner of normal traffic inspection, pulled open the passenger door before requesting the usual material. Glad I was not around the actual sorry events.
But the interviewee quoted is mistaken, apparent if you examine a bit of our history of handmaidens to Empire. Most importantly, as precedent, re-examine the October Crisis of 1970, preparations for which at least went back as far as the St. Jean Baptiste Parade of 1968. Whatever you think of their other attitudes or prescriptions, examine for example the topical writings of Vallières, Ferron, and others who shine a better light on what happened back then.
Re G20, who will ask the most important questions aimed at those at the highest level, not so much at lowest level enforcers? Just as Quebec & Canada were practice fields for technocratic descent in 1970 (striaght line, eg, to Chile 1973?), Canada & Toronto appeared so again at this staged G20 monstrosity. In a maybe more fundamental sense as to how such things go, "how [very not] un-Canadian this all was".
After watching this I was completely shocked and horrified. How could this happen in Canada? Are these the police that I was taught to respect and look up to? What ever happened to dealing with people civilly? My heart goes out to the people who experienced such violent abuse by the "law". I wonder did at any point did anyone of them think "we are going to far with this"? The officers that took part in this should be very ashamed of themselves! Because I am so ashamed of them for representing Canada, in which I am usually proud of!
I dont even know why people were protesting. It was a summit conference about and for human rights. So what is the protest about? Was it to push their opinion about some of the issues being covered? Just to make a presence felt? I dont participate in these protests because they are unneccessary in order to make change. It belongs to the past. What can you possibly expect to change by showing up and making a big noise? There are always dangerous idiots along who want to have some reason to be violent so its counterproductive. In the end it has not done anything or made any effect other than bad feelings on both sides. Is there not a better way to do things? Protests can be effective but only in certain conditions and when truly warranted. I dont think it was a good idea.
Too bad the police were not perfect...but they are law enforcers not charity case workers. You cant expect kindness and generosity from them. They are basically civil servants that are a type of military force..thats why they carry guns right? So if you want to change things...pick and choose your battles. Thyis was a stupid protest from start to finish. Peaceful protesters...can turn violent very quickly. Its called a MOB.
After watching the show. It is very apparent that the police have been militarized! They have become trained in an Us vs Them attitude! Within the corporate culture of the policing system! Mind you they are just a tool!
The by gone days of the beat cop or friendly cop as part of the community is gone! Today they have become a self serving culture to perpetuate more funding for the municipalities, province, and the federal government for laws that are really nothing more than Rules! The laws have nothing to do with real harm or damage to anyone or their property!
Oh and lets not forget the police are enforcement office over peace officers! Enforcing laws that are with the sole intent of generating nothing but money for the over lawyer-ed and litigious legal system! That never provides or is interested in restitution for the VICTIMS!
It is very apparent if of little of this type of police behavior is good for the G20! More will be better when needed to control the rest of the population!!! Ah, what a future to look for from our public servants... the police! Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, here we come!!!
Borg you are the joke.Get lost you blithering idiot
Police officers are compromising their work by allowing uniformed thugs among them. It is the behavior of those bullies that put the life of honest and innocent police officers at risk. The police would be better served by taking a definite stance against members of the force who abuse their position of "authority". The bottom line is that they need to clean up the force.
And one more thing, how do these police officers feel when they get home to their families? Do they feel proud that they assaulted innocent and peaceful people? This is shameful.
My friend you should be called "one eye closed" pontificating from your ivory tower! I wonder how you would spin this USA report concerning the Houston police http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=resPZD_j6_0&feature=player_embedded
This is a good documentary but the interviewer was a bit softball with the police, considering we are slowly slipping into a police state and some would say we are already in one. For anyone used to protests in Montreal, the police didn't make a "mistake" in not apprehending the people who broke windows at the start of the protests, this is what they do at most protests. They let either protesters or undercover police break stuff up so they then have their excuses to brutalize everybody, do mass arrests and break up protests.
Having cops investigate cops is stupid.They all belong to one large gang with chapters.An independent body of civilians need to investigate all police bad behavior
This video shows just a small portion of what the "Under Occupation" documentary shows. However, it still shows us enough to know that the cowards in uniforms we call "police" were wrong.
Innocent people attacked by Gestapo-like thugs. No reasons given for their arrests, no guarantee of their basic human rights. There was a man in Germany in the 1930's and 40's that did things like this too.
The fact that Bill Blair consistently lies about not knowing what was going on is just the icing on the cake. Toronto police, and members of any police force that were involved in this: YOU ARE COWARDS! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO WEAR THE UNIFORM! YOU SHOULD BE ARRESTED, TRIED, AND CONVICTED. YOU SHOULD SPEND TIME IN PRISON WITH ALL OF THE OTHER CRIMINALS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE!
I was ashamed to be a Canadian last night after I finished watching the Fifth Estate. I did not realize Ontario/Canada had become a police state. Strip search, brutality, lying, rubber bullets, random arrest. PUBLIC ENQUIRY!!
obviously Eyes Wide Open did not watch the Fifth Estate documentary in full if at all. I say write your MP and demand a full public inquiry.
This is simply the real face of Canada. Take for exemple the case of Lybia. You have Canadian companies who are building prisons and were paid by Kadhaffi.
Canada "peaceful" image is a story of the past. The mask is off.
That was great piece of reporting. It makes me ashamed that abuses of power like this are happening in our country. And I ask all Ontario residents to pressure your politicians until an inquiry is held. Remember, they work for you.
The one piece of video that I wish they would have included in the story was of the protestors singing "Oh Canada" who were attacked by police. There are a number of versions of it on YouTube. I put one link below. It says it all for me on how far our country has fallen if these kinds of actions don't deserve an inquiry and punishment for the illegal acts committed by the authorities.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Heb9BXjYcII
Orwellian and gutless, the cops beat the meek and let the bad boys burn their cars, chickenshits in riot gear. I'm very disappointed Gillian did not ask Chief Blair who called off the cops when the Black Bloc started reeking havoc and destroying their cars for God's sake.
Quo Vadis Canada? Police brutality was not certainly "Canadian trademark" when I came to this country 25 years ago. It is sad to see not only increasing brutality of police, if it is G 20 in Toronto or Robert Dziekanski case here in Vancouver, but incredible cost of those government actions that Canadians are willing to accept.
Leading up to the Summit weekend, all I can remember hearing from both police and political leaders was;"stay home". So I did and guess what? My shoulder didn't get broken. I didn't get strip searched.My prosthetic leg didn't get lost and I didn't break one pane of glass. Big coincidence? No,YOU simply got what was comin to ya.
Was just thinking the same thing: we're being slapped in the face and laughed at by Harper's administration. Cannot believe we allow these guys to trample all over us with wanton disregard. Would be nice to take them by the collar, shake them, and make them accountable for their incompetent and arrogance policies. Should demonstrate with our collective voices like Egypt and Libya.
It has become plainly obvious that in order to protect our basic constitutional rights, we will need to more forcefully show our opposition to these armed thugs. I've never bothered to attend a protest before. The next international gathering in my city will see me in attendance - and as many of my friends as I can get to come along.
My purpose will be solely to ensure my police forces act within the law and respect my charter rights. Shall they not, I will press charges. I feel this is my duty.
Hilarious.
Instead of the segment being called "You should have stayed at Home" it SHOULD have been called "You should probably have moved when police told you to the First time"
Anyone notice how at around the 17th minute a blonde woman sees the approaching line of Riot Gear Cops chanting Move, Move, Move (?) - and having just seen a guy swallowed up by that cordon turns and says "there's no reason to get arrested." Exactly.
Gillian Findlay could have summed it up right there. Except for the times when Police removed name tags / McGuinty lied about the secret barrier / Harper chose not to put in in a more secure area... all of the sob stories Findlay showed were from people who flirted with the riot gear line and assumed the cops would just walk around them.
"oh I'm tired... I'll just sit down in front of this approaching line of cops chanting 'Move Move Move' - and cross my fingers that they'll think i'm special" Hilarious.
In order to restore the credibility of the Toronto Police Force, there must be a full public inquiry. If the police retain that there were no abuses, they should be happy at the idea of discrediting these Canadian protestors.
PEOPLE OF TORONTO! We came together to show our unhappiness at the G20 protests. Now, come together again to show our disatisfaction with the police aggression used and the civil rights of Canadians that were abused. On Saturday, March 5th, come to Younge-Dundas Square and make a stand.
The police to not want a public inquiry. Let's show them that it is not their choice!
In my opinion The Fifth Estate ought to no longer broadcast such stories, because there is no remedy to police behavior.
Citizens are not enabled by Law to carry riot shields or "batons" to defend themselves against excessive police force, nor any ability to disperse riot police or water-cannon police. Therefore, the less Canadians see and hear about badly behaving police, the less people will begrudge their excessive power.
Without a full public inquiry and accountability for the absolutely horrifying actions documented here, Canada has been irreparably harmed.
Like the rest of Canada, the streets of Toronto belong to the people, the same people that the police are paid to serve and protect.
The fact that they did not or could not respond to vandals and then victimized countless completely innocent citizens as a result of that failure is inexcusable. And it damages the very important trust between civilians and the police force.
Like the playwright featured in this film, this has made me into an activist. I'll be on the streets for every possible protest in a effort to keep Canada the free, democratic, tolerant and respectful society we aim to be.
Congratulations and thanks to W5 for an important and very well-executed documentary.
Dear #MENA, even in the most peaceful of North American cities, police in riot gear can go mad and attack their own people. Good luck with your coming formation of civil society -- it is very fragile.
A healthy democracy flourishes when there is freedom of expression such as, freedom of speech and the freedom to assemble. The value of these hard fought freedoms has been well demonstrated throughout history and is emphasized daily by the struggles of those who are called rebels in countries like Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Iran, China, Oman and the list goes on. This is no less the case in Canada and during events such as G20 summits.
Freedom of expression will always eventually prevail over the interests of those who would attempt to curtail or eliminate the freedoms of others. There isn’t a man made force powerful enough to stop the desire for freedom and equality forever. Why isn’t this obvious to us all by now? Who is so smug or disillusioned that they cannot see this?
Why can there not be a better way for G20 heads of state to effectively communicate and negotiate today?
Why do the G20 members need to meet face-to-face and draw security forces and special interest groups to a pinnacle of obvious confrontation?
It has become a ritual to expect physical confrontation at these G20 summits. Special interest groups and especially the security forces frantically prepare for the G20 summits over many months, in dramatic and costly fashion. Apparently the subordinate ministers to the heads of state are responsible for ironing out the majority of negotiations before, during or after the G20 heads of state actually meet.
If heads of state must come face-to-face then is there not an international organization like the United Nations or the World trade Organization, that member states support, which could assume the responsibility of bringing the heads of state together in an amicable manner?
A conference call or Skype may be all that is needed to effectively allow the heads of state to finalize agreements and the signed documents can follow.
I am outraged by the thuggish,mindless behavior of our police force in their misguided defence of G20 leaders. We should never put the interests of rich, powerful leaders above the basic rights of peaceful citizens exercising their right to make their voices heard.
Bill Blair's attempts to assign blame to individual officers struck me as an attempt to evade his own resonsibility for controlling the mob of police unleashed in our city on those two days
Why are no charges being brought against the Toronto Police Chief?
It would seem clear that the Charter of Rights has been violated. If this violation goes unpunished, then the charter is just a placebo, a joke perpetrated on the Canadian people.
The police extreme over actions and abuses of citizens, shown in the videos, appear to largely stem from states of mental excitement or anxiety, and probably physical adrenaline rushes, all resulting in losses of self control and the ability to act appropriately. It is very reminiscent of videos of beatings police sometimes inflict on surrendering people at the end of chases. I think by now that is a fairly commonly understood phenomenon especially by police agencies themselves. At the end of a chase their adrenaline is pumping, they are over excited, and they temporarily lose a measure of self control. I believe police are now trained or educated on the phenomenon. So beyond individual officer's legal liabilities for their violence and abuses inflicted, there needs to be accountability at the top imposed on Chief Bill Blair and any others responsible, for the overall lack of training or effective preparation of the squads in this regard, specifically for this event, which otherwise could have helped prepare or warn them to recognize their own adrenaline pumped excited states and thereby prevent or diminish the extent of officer's loss of self control and the abuses clearly inflicted on the many videos.
Beyond that, there will be the eventual cost to the taxpayers of all the law suits justifiably launched by the victims. Ultimately those taxpayers should impose provincial political liability for that as Premier McGuinty still refuses to do what is necessary and have a proper public inquiry. To paraphrase an apt saying - all that is required for democracy, and our basic civil rights, to be weakened is for good men and women to do nothing.
Well I was there and witnessed just about everything. I find it very amusing that the biggest protest of all was not even mentioned. This protest took place on the Monday and had 8000 people strong walking the streets of Toronto. Could this have gone unmentioned because of the lack of drama and window smashing? I also find it very funny that what's not being said is that on the first day the "peacefull" protesters actually turned around and ceased chanting when the black bloc showed up clearly to not protest in a peacefull manner or had anything good to say. Those with a legitimate message did not want to be associated in any way shape or form with these idiots. You think the officers used excessive force to clear the streets? Just imagine excessive force that was put on the police by business owners who had their windows smashed, the politians and city council. The Police was not about to let that happen again on the second day. I was also there with my camera shooting on the second day but I had the common sense to leave after the third warning to dispurse was made very clear over the loud speakers. Those that got roughed up totally deserved it. You can't be an idiot in the middle of a city street with nothing to say. Every person I talked to were clearly there for the party and to hopefully get a new profile picture for facebook. It blew my mind that 90% of the people at the corner of Spadina and Queen actually had no idea what the G20 was about or had no clear subject to speak of.
There you have it. This is our government, folks. hearings or no hearings, the fact remains that the leader of this country is fully responsible for this travesty.
End of discussion.
Most of those who were beaten were found NOT guilty. So tell me again. Why were they beaten?
Last Sunday I spoke with a friend in Algiers. The day before he was one of the peaceful demonstrators for regime change in Algeria. As we know the city was filled with 40 000 policemen. In addition the regime hired provocateurs. My friend was among the people who were injured and he witnessed how women and senior people were beaten by police.
The G 20 pictures I have seen and the stories I have heard from the very decent people you interviewed in your show made me very sad and revolted. Is it Algiers or Toronto? Today I think Toronto during the G 20 is not far from Algiers. Having said that, I think that we the citizens should make sure that none of the people involved in this shameful G 20 should be reelected, be it at the Federal or the Provincial level.
There were other viable, both civilized and cost effective solutions: Take those so-called G20 leaders on a cruise , have your meeting in the middle of the Atlantic, and spare us seeing their faces!
I wondered the same thing! I thought Gillian should have pulverized him!! She's got the chops and had the reason to do so! I am very perplexed by this and would love to know why she was so light on him. The police should have upheld the standards of respect for peaceful protest/human rights as we expect in our country--and are so quick to criticize in police states/dictatorships around the world, eg., Libya, Egypt, Tunisia. (Did you hear Harper, yesterday? What a hypocrite!) Although our police were ordered/allowed to behave in this brutal fashion, they should have refused, as Canadians would expect of all civilized human beings, with a conscience, in democratic societies. I am very concerned about the apathy of Canadians regarding the G8 protest and police abuses. I will be emailing this episode of The Fifth Estate to everyone I know! Let's Michael Moore this thing and get apathetic Canadians educated and outraged (in a peaceful way, of course!!).
P.S.: I am a 62 year old teacher and an outraged Canadian! My father went to war in Europe against a totalitarian, brutal regime. Millions died protecting democracy and human rights. Our police (sanctioned by the P.M.O., I'm sure!) demonstrated no respect for our democratic principles and freedoms, hard won by!
I used to think that Quebec was better off within Canada but after seeing this, perhaps separation is the better option.
What we saw that day was simple,a few windows being broken and a few cars being burned, pieces of metal. Is worth more than peoples rights. DISGUSTING. Shame on every officer that took part in these brutal attacks....Next time you see an officer, ask him or her what they did on those couple of day's. Don't be scared, just do it,look in their eyes, and ask them about it.
You should have demanded a public inquiry.
Never trust a police officer. Protest with intelligence and effectiveness and do not allow yourselves to be caught beneath a baton. The first frontier is within; we must protest our complacency and lack of political understanding. Subsequent to surmounting these hurdles, born of indoctrination and laziness, we must intelligently take to the streets and orchestrate effective protests.
This day will not be forgotten. It is clear that Canada, our beautiful and sublimely free nation, is susceptible to degradation by violent and mendacious police officers. This was not Canada, this was Mussolini's Italy.
Thanks for a this documentary, but it certainly begs more questions. I look forward to your next exposure to explain
a) why did some officers believe that martial law had been declared? Was PM Harper complicit in the mixed messages about policy powers during the 20?
b) why would a large group of officers enter the gym where Quebec university students were sleeping and make arrests without warrant?
c) why were women singled out for strip searches?
I still have nightmares about it! =p
Horrible to see such thuggish police work in Canada during the G 20, but the police only did what they were told. It will be a long time before I will vote Liberal provincially again and Conservative federally. It is they who planned this event and deprived us of our city; a city that belongs to the people, businesses and corporations that reside there and not the federal and provincial politicians. Awful, just plain awful!!!
Watching the G20 protest on TV in Vancouver one thing was pretty clear to me: The cops where out for blood, not deescalation or crowd control but fully intended of "showing force" with the as much power as they could get away with.
This always reminds me of the protests against the expansion of the Frankfurt airport back in the mid '80s. The photos of the riot cops on once side of a mount and the protesters on the other, trying to storm it and getting to the construction site.
At one point one of the cops was grabbed by some of the protesters and dragged down into the ditch, he managed to get free and tried to climb up to his own line all the while the protesters where trying to hold on to him. Finally some of his colleagues jumped down, used their batons and dragged him up. As far as I know nobody was arrested. It WAS an all out war at that point.
If Chief Blair and the RCMP would have been in command of the police at that point they would have probably order in the airforce to carpet bomb the protesters for good measure.
What is lacking by those in power in Canada is the feeling to be accountable to those who have put them into power.
What's failing on the side of the population is an understanding that if you are afraid enough of your own Government to voice your dissent in the streets then it's already too late.
Look at Egypt or Libya where people are being bombed and shot and still they take to the streets.
So, all of you those who say: "You should have stayed home": Be ashamed for yourself.
Kudos to the people who worked on this story.
Excellent piece of work.
Please keep at it.
We are a long way from hearing all of the questions that beg to be asked, let alone the answers to the questions that are still hanging in the air concerning the police action surrounding this event.
I am ashamed to think that Canadian Police could behave in such a brutal manner. They seemed to behave little better than thugs that we have seen in Tripoli or Cairo.
What sort of people are we hiring as police? Surely many of these 'police' seemed to be crazed people with a violent blood lust that could only be satisfied by extreme violence when the protesters were simple peacefully protesting.
How is it that Blair still has a job and is not in jail?
If your argument held any water RICK the EIGHT RICHEST nations wouldn't have held their G8 meetings in MUSKOKA. Now please, you've embarrassed yourself enough.
Your statement is misleading and incorrect.
I guess those hammers used to break the windows and chip off concrete curbs were imaginary. Not to mention glass bottles, bricks, and sticks.
My bad, they were black bloc looking for habitat for humanity work.
As I read the comments I can't help but think back to the days of the civil right movement in the US. Citizens marching and standing up for what they believed in while being beaten and vilified by those standing on the sidlines and protecting the abusers. The same G20 bullies and abusers who would have come to the defence of the National Guard at Kent State University had they been there. At least in the case of the G20 they used rubber bullets on the innocent protesters. If the cops couldn't sort the good protesters from the trouble makers with all the cameras and the number of cops on the scene. God help us all when they have to deal with real crimes. It's no wonder Harper's building these huge jails. They'll need them to hold all the innocent civilians that get swept up with lousy police work. One good thing though, there are great cops out there and we'll know who they are...they'll be wearing name tags.
Have you seen the pictures of the "weapons" the police confiscated, go look it's quite interesting, very few were actual weapons, my son's helmet that he using when rideing his bike was shown, it's the one that says Food not Bombs,now that's dangerous, gas masks aren't weapons but the protesters could have used them afterall the police had them
When Harper insisted on holding the summit in Toronto, he was offered Ontario Place which would be much easier to secure than the Convention Centre but, no, he insisted on holding it in the most disruptive place.
Secondly, if, as you say, the summit was concerned with human rights then trampling the Charter Rights of Canadians is just a teensy bit hypocritical, no?
All I can say is thank God my son believes as he does & is willingly to work (yes he does a lot of volunteering) to change what he believes should be changed & doesn't just sit back pretending the world is a perfect place. I must admit reading your comments make me laugh because I can't believe you can really believe what you say.
Not a useful comment.
Many of these people actually do protest at other times, my son is often involved in protests (peacefully) The reason they protested at the G20 was because the world leaders were here, the media was here, they wanted their voices heard. but it doesn't really matter the fact is we live in a country where we have the right to protest. you can't blame the protesters for the insane amount of money spent during the G20, I am sure most of them would have preferred the money went to much better causes.
OK, just as long as everyone is clear as to who handed the Police the power to violate Charter Rights.
Isn't Toronto the Center of the Universe/Canada?
Wasnt it a summit of the 20 Wealthiest Countries, regarding the Economy and Human rights etc. Isnt the TSX in Toronto, Isnt Bay street in Toronto? Where would this summit have made more sense to take place? Winnipeg? Maybe it's just me, but if I was holding a summit witht the top 20 economic powers, I would want it in My economic center, just sayin.
I watched this program with my elderly mother, who demanded it be turned off as she hung her head to weep. I too was not an activist prior to the G20 and now I feel called to step away from my complacency. We all have voices and we must use them. The police are civil servants and we pay for their services. I for one wish to withdraw any/all my support for this group of "thugs" until they submit to full scrutiny from the public to whom they ultimately owe their allegience and their salary.
We have the ombudsman, SIU, and all news agencies who report honest news stating the obvious, and yet the police continue to avoid responsibility and punishment for thier heinous acts against humanity. May God forgive those of us who remain mute and allow this to go on under our noses.
The actions seem to be expected lately - we see a lack of respect for democracy not only on the streets but also during elections and in parliament. I got a sick pit in my stomach thinking about how I am a young adult, and no one my age really cares... it's scary. I've never protested before, and I don't know if there is any use if this is the result!
Before you post any comments that can be publicly viewed, you ought to consider improving your English skills, literally!
Bill Blair has already admitted to lying about the weapons recovered.
Yes, the Liberals are responsible for invoking the Public Works Act but Stephen Harper is responsible for stupidly having the summit in downtown Toronto. BOTH groups are culpable.
Well said. Chief Blair said in his comments that he saw some actions of Police that needed investigation. Well, for me its like having Dracula investigate the theft of blood from the blood bank when he was guarding it.
A CONFLICT of INTEREST Blair. An independent inquiry led by a Judge and selected members of the military and police from outside the province is the only way to evaluate what took place.
When I saw the video's, and I believe there are more out there, I thought it was taking place in Iran. Entering the University where students were sleeping was a VIOLATION of LAW. They had no warrant and it was stated to the students that they didn't need a warrant. They had special powers assigned to they.
I believe there is a lot yet to come and it should come out in order to protect our fundamental rights for lawful assemble. The Thugs who destroyed public and private property were the ones to be arrested and we can see in the video that the Police went the OTHER WAY and ignored the CRIME that was committed.
You're questioning the police as though the weren't doing their job. Don't forget that there was a well-organized group of anarchists bent on disrupting any kind of productive meeting because of their unhappiness with what they've accomplished in their own life. The protest organizers most likely organized themselves in a way that made it possible for them to destroy property. Maybe they were planning to use it as a distraction to punch a hole in the security - which didn't work.
"How far away from the security zones do you think the police are really gonna chase these hooligans? Their prime focus of the Summits was the security of the world leaders and the Summits themselves you knuckle heads. Not store windows that were 8 - 10 city blocks away from where everything that mattered was happening."
The Eastern Detention Centre was several kilometres away from The Fence (TM). The cops were also intimidating people at Cherry Beach, also far away from the summit.
see CBC story (March 1st)
"Ottawa police report rise in use of force"-- they give an interesting reason.
Police are not exercising proper use of power. It seems to be on the increase. Likely many incidents are not reported or caught on camera.
Very disturbing.
Perhaps a large demonstration outside Toronto PD headquarters is in order until Bill Blair is fired and/or criminally charged?
Where in the world have you been? The only person on the entire planet that doesn't know what the protest was about is Jim Dandy. Please, read the paper, get informed and then you'll sound intelligent when you write your opinion.
I am not a 'trusted CBC' poster...so we will see if I get vetted out.
To you who were there to protest properly I salute you. You were equally as upset about the hooligans and special interest groups who stole the moment for their own political gains.
For the rest of you I have these comments.
I know that the B in CBC now means bias. Did they even mention the weapons found, police/public injuries, damage to private property, and the amount of black bloc debris (weapons, armour, gas masks, etc) left behind after Queens Park was cleared...oops, must have slipped their minds. Police just charged in there, they never told anyone to leave right?
Oh yeah, that is called EVIDENCE, and not innuendo. People open your eyes..these are the few who complain the loudest and the CBC is their advocate.
Hey lets take a few clips from selected 'neutral parties' and put them out of context. The G20 only happened over the span of a 2 minute clip right..it's not like did anything occurred before those 2 minutes right. Maybe the minutes, hours, days before right?
To those who there to be a "combat correspondent", YOU decided to place yourself in the trenches. That goes for both the professionals, amateurs and 'curious/tropher photographers'. Did you do any research on what has happened at other G20's.
And to those who took away the police "LRAD", I guess it didnt sound so bad now huh? What did you leave them with? A herculean task. I guess they wanted the police to all hold hands around the security zone. "please dont throw bricks at us". That would have worked. The police were damned from the start, they didnt act fast enough for public opinion the first night, and then they were too mean when they surrounded everyone in the rain the next night.
Oh, can I start a group and call them the Canadian Civil Society, and create my own 'report' demanding that there be an inquiry into anything I dont understand. Please.
Oh and to the consipracy people out there.
I hear that the police have a weather machine which made it rain. I also hear that anyone who wore black boots were police. Infact police made money off of black boots being sold to the public..it was so they could pay for the burned cars.
I wonder if this show and the Canadian Civil Liberty 'report' was scheduled to be released about a month ago. They ran out of cars to have 'torched' so instead they had an officer killed....once again grow up people.
OPEN YOUR EYES.
When I watched the fifth estate on Sunday, I compared what had happened in Toronto on G20, with the comments that the PM and the ministers given about Libya and Gadafi (spelling might not right)
I DON'T SEE ANY DIFFERENCES. And is still happening the same daily, specially in the capital of CANADA.
Thank you for bringing such an important take on what happened on the G20. I would have liked to see more info on why cops did not interfere when so-called "black block" individuals burned a police car or destroyed property and focussed on peaceful protesters instead. Were they "agents procateurs"? Harper must be held accountable. Period.
Mike,
We shall wait for the investigations to take place and I thank 5th Estate for airing many of the video's that the public had taken. I had not taken sides prior to seeing the CBC documentary but since I have seen it it makes me wonder about the behaviour of the police on that weekend. The MISTAKE the police took was on the Saturday when the "THUGS" who were at the POLICE CAR and doing the vandalism ere not dealt with. You let it go and returned to Queens Park where the lawful protest was taking place. I saw this on the video's in plain view. You certainly had some officers who exceeded their boundaries and caused excessive force in MY opinion and I derived that from the video's submitted. I believe there should be a FULL enquiry and all police video's must be confiscated.
If the police did their job on the Saturday you would not have had to come out with heavy, excessive force on the Sunday from what I saw.
Chief Blair has some explaining to do.
Why did you remove your badges and name tags. Were you not on "DUTY" that day?
I slept well that weekend and wasn't in Toronto but now that I have seen the video's it makes me question how safe we are in Canada from a police force that needs to learn that demonstrations are acceptable and are a right in a democracy which some officers forgot.
Bill Blair,Dalton McGuinty,and Stephen Harper unleashed a gang of mindless android enforcers on peaceful Canadian protestors. Never mind "It's Time for Ghaddaffi to go" It's time for all three of these people to face a tribunal that will determine how they will be punished for their crimes against Canadians.
A word of advice to your son Val. Being young and stupid isn't an excuse for being ignorant. What beliefs was he willing to risk arrest for? I consider myself a bit of a news hound etc. I don't remember anything being covered in any of the local or national news outlets that even hinted of our rights being removed. So what was he actually protesting about on that day? I think your son along with his buddies went down there that day because that was the " IN " thing to do amongst his peers. I doubt very much that he was being pious. I'm sorry he got caught up in the events of that day but it was a hard lesson learned...I hope. Hopefully, in the future he'll know which hills are worth dieing for and which ones aren't. Borg out!
without people like my son who are willing to risk arrest or worse for their beliefs that we would not have the rights and freedoms that we have.
training for them, conditioning for us.
when i see this i am shocked and i feel for the people who see injustis dad did you know the halifax hrm police
I hate ads--the video gets messed up when an advertisement comes out
is it possible to watch this from germany? all i get is an endless loop of advertisement spots :(
These officers acted like a gang of thugs. Protesters simply disappearing into the throngs of riot squads is very disturbing and angering. The mountains of camera evidence proves that the force used to control the crowd wasn't to protect the citizens.It was to protect the elite government officials and banksters who treat us like cattle. The police officers seem to have no back bone for standing up for what is right, and more worried about keeping their jobs. What price are they willing to pay, when its their son or daughter, mother or father being beaten by some faceless criminal. yes they are criminals they broke many of the rights that are supposed to protect us. I would like to see prosecution for the crimes committed.
Gross Canada, simply gross abuse of fellow citizens.
These Cops acted like Criminals. Grow some back bone you crooked bastards, you act like lemmings.. Tell your kids about this and see if they are proud of you.
Sue the bastards. Without any chance of a proper investigation and penalties imposed on the anonymized offending officers, It's the only recourse left to get any justice.
I have absolutely no respect for Bill Blair anymore. If he cannot stand up like a man and take some responsibility, then he shouldn't be allowed to have that much power.
His police service has allowed way too much abuse of power under his command. If he is the one in control, then he is to blame for the harm done. If he is not in control of his officers, then he is a lousy leader.
So, either way, he is clearly not capable of doing this job in a responsible manner.
Blair has to go.
I can't believe we have idiots that believe this was right??? Honestly whether you agree with this or not, some part of you says that this is totally wrong and plain shameful. It looked like they were wrangling in sheep's and there was nothing people could do. I agree with detaining the one's that were braking things and vandalizing but nothing even close to what they did. 1100 people detained, starved, beaten and discriminated...That's just disgusting, retarded and plain wrong!!!! Also our great Police Chief...what a moron. Can't people see his lying through his nervous f****ed up look, because they "Royally F****ED up. Common Canada, wake the hell up and start charging and suing these dumb, steroid fed moron of cops(with some exceptions of good legit one's) we have trying to play the roll of officers.
criminals eh? they broke the law too. wait for the inquiries their conservative troll.
Hey Mike, of course they are above the law ... lol ... there are so many accounts of this, but check out the recent story of the cop in Ottawa who received a 'conditional discharge' in the beating of his kids - why? because he's a cop and it would deprive "the community of the skills and talents of (the accused) as a police officer," Judge Renaud ruled. He is also forbidden to physically discipline his kids for the next 2 years. What a LOAD of CRAP, eh? - oh, and get this, the judge, Justice Gilles Renaud, just happens to be one of the judges who gave out light sentences to the pedophiles in the Cornwall Pedophile Ring case!!
This was absolutely horrifying. The police chief should not whitewash this issue with a flippant "we will investigate" comment, this was in many cases outright assault and unlawful confinement and these officers should be the criminals. This is an embarrassment to all Canadians and an assault on our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. If this is the future envisioned by our political leaders, then we should outright condemn them. This is not my Canada.
This is baloney.... I was in demonstration in Montreal in the seventies and the riot police tactics were exactly the same then. The tactic is very simple: they circle the crowd, start beating their shield and like ancient warrior they charge and start beating people without discrimination. That is why any of the boomers that did demonstrate in the seventies are not going to these "peaceful" demonstration anymore because we know how they turn. The footage was very clear about how the young people were well behave. And just like at the Quebec Summit the police had probably had some agent provocateur. The kids are not stupid. And they have the courage to speak out. Every Canadian should write a letter to Harper and ask that those who are responsible for this should be responsible for their action. Harper will do nothing of course but at least give yourself the satisfaction to express your outrage.
For another even more Orwellian nightmare, try the Family Justice 'System'
The next time I see a cop in Canada, I will wonder if they represent the law or just brute force. I sincerley hope and sincerely doubt that the cops in this debacle will be held accountable. If they decide that there are simply too many of them then every single one of them should have a permanent blemish on his or her record and be barred from promotion. This is unacceptable.
It doesn't matter what they were protesting. The footage shows clearly that the people were doing a peaceful protest contrary to some event that we have witnessed after some hockey games. The police had no warrant and no reasons to arrest the young people in the university gym, they had no right to detain them as they did. All of these peoples rights were denied and any charges brought to court will be dismissed. It almost looked like the riot police came from the US. I know several canadian policeman and I don't think they would be acting like this. And yes the police car was put there as a target and it was an old car that was ready to be retired from service anyway. There was no loss there to the tax payer. Jim are you on payroll to write your comment? it sure looks like it.
Hypothesis: Canadian law enforcement used its monopoly on violence to oppress peaceful protesters. Those protesters told their story to the world (youtube. The world said "holy crap, Canadians are protesting? We better protest!" Therefore Canadian law enforcement set off riots around the world.
100 years from now: what was the start of that historic revolution? You know, the one where everyone started questioning the old assumptions.
Are comments closed? There is no note that they are, yet my comments at 4 pm and following are not posted. They follow the guidelines....
What's up? (I'm saving this as a web archive of the screen, just in case)
12:19 am (the next day, over 8 hours later)
Yes, I'm disgruntled by the censorship
I'm having difficulties to believe the chief or anyone at the top did not aware of the aggresion of police. In fact, I believe that it is probably the order of the chief or anyone at the top. Due to video footage or pictures being taken, they just charged a few junor officers to cover up. The whole ordeal smells fishy to me.
What are they being socially responsible about? What rights, if any, of theirs were being violated to such an extent that they felt they needed to go down to Toronto to voice their objections? And why on that day, why not two weeks before or two weeks after? I new that on that day there was a group of world leaders in Toronto holding meetings but they were invited and they were conducting themselves peacefully. I don't believe any of those leaders had made statements, to the effect, that would have caused concern with respect to our constitutional rights. So Val, I want you to be really specific, what were these people really there for? In my opinion, it was a bunch of clowns trying out for the circus and it cost the Canadian Taxpayer 2 billion dollars to see the show. How do you say RRRRiiiiippppooooffff!!!
Why in this province do the police chiefs have so much trouble admitting their officers did something wrong they are promoting Bullying and making the good officers look bad.The Chiefs of police departments better start holding these bully cops accountable to the laws of the land or get rid of them all.This cowardly Bullying makes me sick to my stomach.
.....aaaaaaaand you entirely skipped over any real substantial facts. Did you even watch the show? If you are so devoted to law and order and the protection of the state as opposed to simply collecting a pay cheque and expressing your masculinitiy, then you would have absolutely no problem with your department cooperating fully with the Ontario Ombudsmen on behalf of all the people of Ontario. Of course this didn't happen, now did it?
Further, utterances of "this is martial law" by your comrades flies entirely in the face of of the Charter of Rights of Freedoms (which your police school should have taught you is entrenched in the Constitution and guaranteed to all citizens of Canada). If you want to execute the law, that is fine. Just don't execute made up laws. I don't think that is too much to ask.
Tactical police officers armed to the teeth and removing prosthetic legs from old men? Kettling completely innocent people? Strip searching young girls after 20 hour periods in custody? Are you kidding me? I'd love to see you do try any of this without Harper and McGuinty giving you the cash, pal. It's comforting to know that your department made Hu Jintao's visit so peaceful.
Of course I'm just an average guy typing these words and you can freely scoff at them. However we all know that even though your department continues to drag its heels, slowly, but surely, the people will demand a public inquiry and all the facts will be brought into the light.
P.S. It is "Molotov"
Wow, it concerns me that so many people are just mind-boggled and brain-washed by what the news media chooses to report. So many unfounded, and uninformed opinions just because the media says so. Ever think independantly people? Try it. How far away from the security zones do you think the police are really gonna chase these hooligans? Their prime focus of the Summits was the security of the world leaders and the Summits themselves you knuckle heads. Not store windows that were 8 - 10 city blocks away from where everything that mattered was happening. If these idiots trashed an area like Woodbridge, do you really think the police would rush off... leave the summits unprotected and wrestle with losers up there? The police accomplished what they set out to do, and that was to make sure the Summits continued uninterrupted and unthreatend. Everything else was the result of the losers dressed in black and the people that supported them, or too dumb not to know when to leave.
18 mins in and I can't watch any more. sick just sick
What I really don't understand is why the police effort was so poorly coordinated. Had they not trained for this event and run drills? Were they not aware of protocols and proper procedure? Or were they just making on-the-fly decisions? You can see from the video footage that all of the riot cops had radios in their helmets. Who was on the other end giving the commands? And why were they not allowing the peaceful demonstrators an escape route? What really bugs me is that 8 months after the fact Toronto's Chief of Police still isn't willing to say "Yes, we made a huge blunder and we're sorry for detaining innocent people." Are his hands tied so tight that he can't even make a simple apology?
How do you know he's right wing? Are you clairvoyant? And if you are then you know what I think of you...Troll.
What's the purpose of posting on this site. You'd think we are still sending mail by pony express. Hey, you know, that might be a lot quicker than how the CBC is managing this site. To the brass, at the CBC, get the lead out I need my instant gratification fix.
When the past Liberal gov't to away gun owners rights to be protected from unreasonable search and seizure, how many of you ardent civil libertarians spoke up. " and then they came for me" Google that in your pipe and smoke it.
This disturbed me profoundly. I agree that cops have a very hard job and there may well have been some trouble makers in the crowd but I am willing to bet that most were there in a perfectly lawful context. We must hold our officers of the law to a higher standard than members of the public at large. That is NOT what I see here.
What disturbs me even more is that in spite of the grotesque wastefulness of the whole G20 fiasco and abuse of power we see here people will still vote conservative.
Hey buddy, before making a comment on this show's site maybe you should look into what 'The Fifth Estate' actually is, other than just the name of a TV show. The entire idea of democracy is to protect the minority, those on the margins.
I am a white, middle-class, middle-aged male, and I am starting to realize that this stinks. I know you think that us middle-class, white males, living fat and complacent in trendy bourgeois neighborhoods or suburban sprawl, own the world. WELL WE DON'T! It's not all take and no giving back. I know that it's the 12 year old children who earn 15 cents a day manufacturing our big screen TV's and everything else in our hardwood laminate designer cocoons that allows us to live cheaply, comfortable, and distracted from reality as we are fed b.s. over those same big screen TV's, but that is NOT a good thing. I also resent the complacency I have been lulled into. It's time we all woke up. Who is next? I suppose you think that the cops who beat civil rights protesters in the 50's and 60's and those who fought apartheid in the 80's were on the right track too?? Who do these clowns think they are pepper spraying and beating citizens speaking their mind in civil protest. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I am tired of the media treating us like we are brain dead and dumbing it down too. Anyone with a brain can see that corporate media is editing stuff and spinning things in another direction. Whether it was 1930 Germany, the south in the 1950's and 60's, the Vietnam War in the 70's or Apartheid in the 80's the storyline is the same, only the actors on the stage that are playing different roles.
It is interesting that you didn't interview one single policeman that was on the ground; so much for balanced journalism.
There were tens of thousands of people who were there with the same values and concerns as those humans wearing blue and carrying batons and shields.
Those protesters did go home or move to another place when first asked to by police. 90 per cent of protesters were respectful to police and were treated respectfully by police.
Many of us were more than frustrated that we couldn't do more to stop the small group of vandals that ruined it for everyone, including the hardworking store owners.
We are not sorry however to those who have no other purpose than to taunt, spit, gawk, throw things at police and disobey police orders to move along or clear an area for their safety or the safety of other protesters.
To the very few who genuinely got stuck in a bad situation, were treated badly, the other 8 thousand cops who were there are sorry.
This story was about how individuals were abused by people in power thru poor judgement, or there lack of. It wasn't about riotous behavior and broken windows. The police took lots of videos and pictures of those troublemakers... and still are hunting them down to prosecute them to the best of their power. I wish the right wingers on here would not confuse the two, or twist it together. But that`s what happens when you cannot see beyond the end of your nose, I suppose.
Im not sure why the g20 incident comes as such a surprise to so many people,that stuff happens all over the country all the time,albeit on a smaller scale,most of it is supposed to be investigated but you very seldom hear any results.
To bad this comment site is edited heavily! It reminds me of Noam Chomsky's manutfacturing of consent! Just show the plain vanilla comments that are most agreeable to the mandate of the network or show!
To bad even the Fifth Estate showed a very limited amount of footage regarding the G-20...
We all saw the damage but where did the cops always
disappear when the damage was being done? Not once did you see police attack any of the vandals were they afraid for their safety or of hurting under cover officers causing the damage. Check this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAfzUOx53Rg&feature=related
quebec police admit going undercover at montebello protests
The only officer I saw injured was Adam Josephs
when he was struck by a soap bubble(not shown by cbc)Too violent?
Reading some comments and thinking: Perhaps our police force could learn a little lesson in restraint from their counterparts in Egypt?
Mike you're a cop. Your comments are exactly what anyone would expect a badly compromised cop to say. I've seen some comments written by good cops who are ashamed at how things went down. If you and some of your baton waving friends could come clean you'd be able to see past the BS. There were innocent civilians who got roughed up and treated like criminals. A good cop would have apologized for the treatment that the handicapped senior citizen received and the strip searches and the lengthy detentions without food at the hands of your pals. The other cops, the good ones, are probably doing what they can to make amends for what happened and are not writing letters defending gustapo like police activity.
It's a shame that a few bad apples spoil the crop. There are a lot of good cop's that do a good job every day.I was ashamed to be a canadian & see that kind of behavior going on from the police.Chief Blair should be fired.he has to be held accountable.
This story would look completely different if the protesters came fully armed and dressed in riot gear. However, 99% of the citizens on the street were there for a social event and to be spectators. The police came dressed and equiped for a riot and they did there best to stage one. Even so, there was no riot, only police violence to an un-needed degree. If the police were dressed in regular uniforms and stood by in ready, the crowd would have also been more peaceful.
Um...Montebello, anyone?
I shared a cell with Tommy Taylor at the Eastern Ave. Detention Center, and I greatly appreciate his articulate and accurate description of the arrest at the Esplanade. As he said, what happened at the G20 was so un-Canadian, that all Canadians should be alarmed and uneasy. I traveled from Winnipeg to be in Toronto to voice my opposition to the consortium of global powers meeting in my country, and to generally take part in a friendly-spirited fellowship with my fellow Canadians. To be reduced to mistreated cattle was a disheartening yet motivating experience. I sincerely hope that restitutions are made to the victims of this 1.3 billion dollar boondoggle, and that certain corrupt elements in the Canadian security framework, particularly in the higher echelons, are finally exposed and eliminated.
Hey Martha, its started already, the conspiracy theorists are starting to post. Can you get me a soda and some popcorn...the show is about ready to start and I hear its a real thriller. What's next Tsukuman, you saw a Sasquatch being chased down Young street by two greys(aliens). I think its time for you to put down your pipe.
BILL BLAIR MUST BE FIRED! He is completely full of it!
Gillian Findley too... for going easy on him. C'mon... where were the tough questions?
I wasn't an activist before but I sure am now! Pisses me right off...
You nailed that ugly nail right on the head Sarah. I wish more people, on this particular post, could see the other point of view. But, it is blatantly obvious that some people will resist authority in any shape or form just for the sake of doing so. If you want to see examples of this just drive out to any prison in this country and visit the human zoo.
I assume the police are monitoring this blog, so i just want to say, that you have been selected to follow because your childhood was a disaster and you are to stupid to know right from wrong.
Just follow orders, you messed up whack job!
Politicians need morons like you to carry out the dirty work.
One on one, your nothing, you need to be part of a gang to feel like you are loved.
Every murderous society, for thousands of years use people just like you to do their work.
Mindless drones .
OK then maybe you were the officer who uttered death threats in my ear when I got arrested. Oh and I was wearing an OSSTF white T-shirt. Please read my other post further down. If the police were trained professionals why didn't they stop the "Black Block" when they were committing the crimes. Why did the police attack only peaceful protesters? And if you are going to say you were arresting violent people lets see the proof, because I haven't seen any legitimate arrests or or police officers arresting people that are being violent. Only people that have the courage to speak their minds, not just take orders from uneducated superiors. Your job revolves around "To serve and protect" but who??? the public your fellow Canadians? well news flash those people were the ones at the G20. And come on Flamethrowers???? Really did you just say that? And if there were flamethrowers then arrest the people with them, remember your trained professional being paid an very generous amount of money... our money. and not just take your anger out on the rest of the Canadians who are speaking out trying to make this world a better place to live in..
DKSFerguson@gmail.com
Well Ron D while the government spent close to a BILLION dollars of our hard earned tax money to host a conference in the most populated city in Canada (who are the morons?) people got off their asses and did something about it. At the very least you could show a little gratitued that some people showed some guts rather than sit on their sofa's watching TV, eating a hamburger rooting for the people who would rip the prosthesis off an elderly man and hand it back to him in a bag and tell him to take the bus home. You can stand up with your hero's but the rest of will stand up for ours.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2007/08/23/police-montebello.html
You were up against flame throwers, were you? I almost fell off my chair laughing.
If you are really a cop answer me this. How come you guys didn't move in on the people who were torching the police cars, but did move in on people miles away who weren't doing anything? Who gave the orders? By the way that cop car was left unattended with no cops in sight for what reason? As bait perhaps?
Not everyone who got arrested or detained was a protester.
Many were tourists, commuters, shoppers, observers, residents of the neighbourhood
or people who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time
(eg. Queen and Spadina kettle episode).
This is a critical part of the story because they had absolutely nothing to do with the Summits per se, but were bullied by law enforcement officers,
were held captive (either in detention or on the street)
were physically harmed
had their rights stripped (eg. search & seizure)
were intimidated for literally walking the streets of a Canadian city
and accused of breaking laws (eg. mischief, resisting arrest, unlawful assembly, obstructing an officer, carrying weapons--the amputee whose leg was removed, glasses and walking sticks confiscated-- among other bizarre narratives.
It is outrageous!
7:21 pm. (Why have comments been suspended since 3:54 pm today????)
To the 29 year old RCMP. If your boss told you to go jump in the lake, would you? Sure those who give out the orders should be held accountable, But I would like to think that police officers, including RCMPs have enough brains to know wrong from right. It is people like you who follow orders without question that are the most dangerous.
Seeing all those cops in riot gear reminds me of a comment once made by anonymous, " We are anonymous because no one of us could be as cruel as all of us together". Seeing them take their name tags off and cover their badges looked pretty anon to me.
Actually, the protesters caught some of the vandals and handed them over to the cops who promptly let the vandals go. So, yes, the protesters did try to police themselves. There's even footage on youtube of some idiot trying to rob a cellphone store and being prevented from doing so by other protesters.
To all those who don't see that there is nothing to protest against:
Are we better off than we were ten years ago? Do you feel your job is any safer than years before? Do you agree that corporations need to be bailed out and granted a tax reprieve at the expense government tax-revenue and public services to people who can least afford losing them? Do you feel that the government is infringing on your privacy and individual rights less than it did in the past?
If the answer is yes then consider this. Last June there were 20 people, of whom only one was elected by Canadians (a minority at that), and some not even being true democracies, who are now deciding how to deprive you of your rights and freedoms for the sake of a corporate profit agenda. If you're ok with that then I can't help you, but if you're not then look yourself in the mirror, and with a straight face say that 'nobody has any reason to protest'.
The Titanic is going down and the victims are helping their killers into the life-boats... Sad, really...
This is about 2 hrs long and shows a lot more and some of the same from a different angle. Definitely worth watching.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZxkAn-g4Xo
Deputation to Toronto Police Services Review Board part 3, made in Aug. 2010.
Article 18 - Crimes Against Humanity
e) Persecution on political, racial, religious or ethnic grounds
h) Arbitrary imprisonment
k) Other inhumane acts which severely damage physical or mental integrity, health or human dignity.
11) that the Review make recommendations that charges be laid in international court against anyone found to be indictable of these offences during the course of their duties as police or security officers for the G20 summit.
12) that the Review examine evidence of inhumane treatment of detainees including:
1.Withholding food, water, and right to council
2.Placing detainees in cells beyond humane and recommended capacity
3.Physically and verbally abusing, sexually menacing and/or assaulting or otherwise humiliating detainees.
4.Segregating detainees based on race or sexual orientation
13) that the review determine if the use of “kettling” at Queen and Spadina was both an excessive use of force and an unlawful detainment of innocent persons, and that recommendations be made that commanding officers be charged for these offences.
14) that the Review take into consideration articles 58, 59 and 81 of the Polices Services Act.
15) that all CCTV video footage, individual video footage, photos and personal testimony of both the public and police officers be considered as evidence during the course of the Review, and that all evidence and testimony be made public.
16) that the Review be performed in a timely manner, and that any and all findings be made available to the public.
In addition to my recommendations, I would like to remind Mr. Hunt that he is bound by his duty to both the public and the law, regardless of his relationship with police and, also, that I am appalled by both the behaviour exhibited by our Toronto Police Service over the course of the G20 summit, and by City Council's overwhelming decision to commend Bill Blair. You should be ashamed. As a body sworn to Serve and Protect our communities, Toronto Police should be held to the very highest standard in their duty to respect the Charter, the law of the land, and the Declaration of Principles as defined in the Police Services Act. Instead, we saw negligence, arrogance and brutality against innocent citizens. Indeed, if we are to let these actions slide – then who shall protect us from Toronto Police? Today we stand at the edge of a precipice, with our very rights and freedoms hanging in the balance. The very freedoms our grandfathers fought and died to protect. They paid in blood, and I believe it equally important that we protect them here today.
Thank you.
I would like to comment on the Fifth Estates program on the G20. We did not see a lot of the footage from the G20 that was shown on the Fifth Estate. From my point of view our Democracy is in grave danger when peaceful citizens cannot protest. Our government makes a big deal of Democracy in other countries. It appears that we are not far behide. We should definitely have an inquiry into the police actions at the G20.
Sincerely,
Jeanette Hidlebaugh
It doesnt matter what they were protesting the cops had no reason to react like they did. Go look up officer bubbles on you tube. Fifth estate never showed that footage as he is suing you tube for it showing the world his true character. He had young women arrested for blowing bubbles. 3 under cover officers were caught in Quebec instigating violence,the force eventually admitted they were police. It would explain why they never attacked any of the actual vandals in the act. They seemed to disappear when violence was underway.
Very well said - those peaceful protesters are heroes. I wept for what has become of Canada. When we lose our Fundamental Right of Freedom to Assemble - we lose democracy.
I totally agree ... why is it that if someone attacks a police officer with as much as a sneeze they can be charged with assault and see jail time, but if police officers violate what are supposedly our most sacrosanct rights, they get a slap on the wrist. Not only should they be fired, they should be charged and put in jail! Canada should then create a constitutional police force whose powers exceed those of regular police and who can arrest them on the spot.
Bev, You stated "The people interviewed were loving every minute of the drama, they were nothing more than trouble makers" Does that also go for the Revenue Canada Employee who had his artifical leg pulled off by police officers? Do you honestly believe him to be a trouble maker, and that he deserved the mistreatment he received at the hands of the police?? How about the journalists, the people trying to get home? I suppose it's there fault if they got caught in the cross-fire. You admit to a few bad apples in the police force. Well my question to you is why were the bad apples allowed to continue their reign of terror at the G-20 and why didn't any "conscientious officer" do something to stop them? The way I see it, any police officer who chose to look the other way while his partner beat up unsuspecting souls is just as guilty as the aggressor.
Step 1: Purposely ignore the actual rioting and vandalism perpetrated by the "black block".
Step 2: Beat up and/or arrest non-violent protesters and anyone else who happens to be in the vicinity, including journalists and disabled people.
Step 3: The politicians and the police chief dismissively shrug it off. What do they care?
Welcome to Canada, the newest banana republic.
Yes, like some misinformed individuals are saying make sure you speak with your Vote. Had the Cons had a Majority, they could have easily struck down the Liberals idea to enacted the Public works act. This is what gave the Police the Power, not Harper, not the Cons. It was the Liberals - Look it up, it was a midnight meeting the day before, Public Works Act - an old out dated preventative Law from WAR TIME!
lets all not forget it was the "LIBERALS' who secretly enacted the "Public Works Act" Not the Cons. Just because the Cons were in office, does not mean we can skew facts!
I have saved this documentary on my PVR and can only view a few minutes of it each day as I have great difficulty accepting the information as factual. This cannot have happened in my country, CANADA. Like the saying goes, "it is when somebody takes away your rights, that you realize how precious they are", and worth fighting for . A public inquiry is one of the weapons that should be used to assure that such savagery never again takes place in my country, CANADA.
You said: "What if the police didn't do anything wrong. Could we edit footage to prove that they did do the wrong thing? That's not so hard to believe. I reserve judgment on what went on. I do this because I don't know all the facts. "
I certainly have ideas about what went on, and the reports that have come out to date from various investigative bodies do not look good for the police. With that said though:
In order for "all the facts to come out" we need a full inquiry, with access to all pertinent information at the federal, provincial and municipal level. The current state of affairs is such that we all have bits and pieces of information and are left to draw our own conclusions. Vast amounts of information are still being withheld by various government bodies and Harper, McGuinty and the City of Toronto all seem adamantly opposed to a full, independent investigation.
In short, without an inquiry we never will have all the facts and the government seems to want it that way - which is, on a variety of levels, dangerous.
Harper's tax-paid disinformation agents are out in full force on here.
I received your e-mail explaining why very few if any of my posts have been posted with regards to this story. It's painfully obvious, to myself as quite possibly others, that the CBC only wishes to post a certain point of view with regards to the events that where depicted in the documentary. The CBC receives taxpayers money to provide news coverage as well documentary services to all Canadians not just to the protest anything crowd. In my eyes you have failed in your mission statement and are no more relevant than the National Enquirer, the Globe, Fox news or any of the tabloid distributors of so called news. This just reinforces my opinion of Journalism in general today...a joke.
Thanks for those comments. I couldn't agree more.
I was utterly discussed by how Police trampled people's rights at G20. I was even more disgusted by the look of dismay on the face of the police chief at video showing police using force against people in the safe protest zone. Do any of us really believe that individual officers took it upon themselves to take the excessive actions they did? Clearly they were instructed to do so by their superiors. The only question is, how far up the chain of command did these orders come from? Does the buck stop with the Toronto Police Service or did the provincial and federal governments influence these decisions? I do not think the public has had sufficient answers to these questions.... and according to Premier McGuinty a public inquiry is not required.
It is interesting how most of your posts are from the police slamming side to back your one-sided documentary.
I sent you a post from the other perspective and curiously it was not published while many more anti-police posts have appeared.
Oh well, that is a reflection of the way the media functions in this day and age.
But I will not lose any sleep over it and it is not likely I will watch another biased episode of the fifth estate. You should look up the meaning of the word "objective".
Here is a great video that was released shortly after the G20 protests examining the possibility of Agents Provocateurs at the protests...
http://vimeo.com/13097041
The power of police and their over reaction to incidents in Canada has always been an issue. So you might understand why I was extremely confused by the lack of reaction by the police when the 'Black Block' or vandals rampaged through the streets. It was the only time that I can remember thinking to myself "why aren't the police taking down those scumbags?". It kind of makes you think that perhaps it was orchestrated by the cops.
The black bloc is the excuse -
The true action was leaving police cars where they could be vandalized, not clamping down on the black bloc since they were a convenient excuse... Oh you are wearing black - well off to the bin with you, Oh its not black, well you must have changed your clothes...
Ever since there have been protests, there have been the police trying to co-opt the "lawful protests". They have become particularly adept at the arrest, detain and release... Knowing full well that if they ever showed up in front of a judge that their career and that of their supervisors would be at an end.
Just want to point out to those who would suggest the police actions were the necessary result of a right-wing government that in 1997 the police in Vancouver decided to turn the APEC protests into a full-blown riot by going hardcore with the pepper spray. In government at the time were left-wing governments both provincially (NDP) and federally (Liberals). Chretien even joked about the police actions, saying he "puts pepper spray on his steak". After a public complaints commission finally investigated the matter years later, they declared the use of force deplorable and an over-reaction to a peaceful assembly. Oh, and Sgt. Pepper Spray was brought back out of retirement after things cooled off for him. Good thing that guy wasn't equipped with a Taser.
Can something be done to fix the volume on the webcast?
It's virtually inaudible until the advertisements which are then loud enough to make my ears bleed. :(
For me, personally, the most unfortunate result of rampant inappropriate police actions during the G20 summit, and the utter lack of meaningful police action since the G20 summit to address inappropriate police actions during the G20 summit, is that I now have no choice but to lump all police together and assume that they are all bad. I am now extremely distrustful and suspicious of them all.
Keep up the great work Fifth Estate.
I’ve read so many comments that I absolutely agree with. As a retired military member I find the comments supporting the action that the police carried out total BS. With the amount of video footage that everyone has taken it should be very easy for an independent inquiry to determine if XS and indiscriminent force was used. I know that I have seen close up You tube video that is so out of line that the people in the wings should have carried out citizens arrest on the police. Not one or two many. There appeared to be total loss of command and control. Clearly, the police did not get the guys who started the trouble and appeared to have been directed to go after absolutely anyone in the area. People in their homes, people walking on the street etc, etc. breaking arms, faces etc. After all, these people were armed to the teeth. The comment buy the policeman in this blog obviously feel that this kind of criminal behavior is warranted. So bring-on the inquiry. Now here is where it get a little tough to get result as this government has paid millions for inquiries and if they don’t like the results they sweep them under the carpet. I can only hope that some of the kids that have been abused by the police on hundreds of feet of video belong to senators, other policeman, member of parliament, so that those police and there are many have the privilege of being treated in the same manner.
Wow, what a bunch of whiners. They were innocent bystanders who just happened to be there!! Well if they were they must live in a another world and not too bright. Living 200 kms from Toronto I knew what was going to happen and what was happening during the entire episode. Stop the whining about rights, none of have the rights to smash public and private property. The ones rounded up should pay for the damage. If they were such good citizens they would have stayed off the streets in question to help the people who protect us everyday from thugs, this day was no different except that there were more of them.
Required watching for all Canadians. Opened my eyes.
Look up M I A M I Model.
It is a blueprint for everything that led up to the summit,
happened during the summit (eg. seizure of weapons unrelated to protests)
purchase of extra surveillance cameras, sound cannons, rubber bullets and hiring extra bodies (police and agents provocateurs) to ramp up the fear and chaos,
which in turn "justifies" the egregious expenditures for "security"
removal of civil liberties
mass mis-information via media, non-disclosure of secret laws which were widely and illegally applied
introduction of fake laws (after the fact, which are/were later rescinded in a "whoops!")
.... please look this term up. It is an eye-opener for sure.
It explains precisely what happened before, during and after the summits.
It is parallel to what happened in the UK (London) and the States --
Even the media spin is part of the "checklist" of tactics (sorry cbc, ctv, global et. al.)
If you view the events through the lens of the Miami Model, it will become crystal clear which level of authority is and was directly responsible for planning, managing, implementing and spinning the security debacle.
4:00 pm
Despite what you seem to think the world is not a perfect place. There were many issues, Aboriginal land rights, labour issues, environmental issues,human right issues, maybe do a little research. Most of the protesters were there for legitimate reasons.
Right-winged thinking at its best :(
idiots? for being socially responsible people who are willing to stand up for what they believe in? Then I think we need more idiots in the world, without them we would never have equal rights, fair wages, proper working conditions, democracy & you would not have the right to express your opinion without fear of being jailed.
Why is my repeated submission of the deputation I made to the Toronto Police Services Board not being posted? It is well withing the submission guidelines!!!
The best part of all this is the impunity that will emerge as it always does. NOTHING will happen to any police who broke laws that day. You can also be sure that CSIS will monitor these comments and spy on those who make them. Canada is not the lovely place we think it is or want it to be.
Good to see and hear from the ordinary peaceful people who were there. To say that Mr. Harper had "no way of knowing?" what was going on is hard for me to believe.
The amount spent on security for the G8/G20 was so obscene they had to fabricate an incident (abandoned police cruiser with "torch me" written all over it) to try to justify the billion dollar boondoggle. The wasted money is one thing but what was done to the peaceful protesters and bystanders cannot be forgiven and must be challenged in court. It was obvious from the swing of the first baton that this was an illegal experiment to see how Canadians would react to these particular police state tactics and tools. If we let this go by the boards there will be worse to come. Although our government and police acted disgracefully, I am proud beyond words of all of the protesters who I hope, despite what happened, still believe they have a right to raise their voices against injustice.
Every single one of those police should be fired without hope of benefits of any kind, starting with the chief. He and they have been trained to usurp the rights and authority of the the people and to protect with excessive force the rights of the wealthy. They are contaminated and morally defunct and should not ever be in positions of authority over people again.
The people should demand their removal immediately and should make the pressure on politicians intense until they are gone. Failing to make the penalties for brutal behavior worse than the crime will only give them the okay to do worse next time. They will take the people's lead in this. If the people demand nothing the situation will worsen, guaranteed.
Ontario’s Ombudsman "The most massive compromise of civil liberties in Canadian history.”
We all saw what was done at G20 and now there will be a full accounting by the agents of tyranny who allowed it to happen. Nothing short of dismissal of the primary actors involved will be acceptable which must be followed by a full review of all standing laws to make sure that effective 'checks and balances' are in place on the government to circumvent any future reoccurrences of such a threat to civil liberty and freedom in Ontario
The political police chief Bill Blair and the Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty are clearly agents of tyranny and are a threat to our civil liberties. The chief inappropriately asked the Ontario Premier for ‘war measure’ (Regulation 233/10) G20 powers that he knew would infringed on the civil liberties of Canadians and the Premier ‘secretly’ granted him these powers knowing full well that these special powers would infringe on the civil liberties of all Canadians. They are both guilty of breaching the public trust – one for asking for tyrannical powers and the other for granting them and not protecting the civil liberties of Ontarians.
They both must be vanquished from power through due process to preserve our democratic principles, to protect our liberty and freedom, and to restore the public trust in government and its security forces.
Watched in shock and horror when this aired -- thanks for presenting this thoughtful and informative piece on an issue which SHOULD be an important issue for all Canadians.
I can say with complete honesty that I felt on the verge of a panic attack when I saw footage of the holding cells where the arrested protesters were housed for several days. I am extremely uncomfortable with tight spaces, and to think that those poor, innocent people were trapped there without any idea when they might be released -- some of them with serious injuries that were denied medical attention.
Shame, shame, shame on us all. Shame on the officials who clearly gave the police carte blanche to do whatever (they felt) was necessary; shame on the police for treating a peaceful populace with such brutality; and shame on the rest of Canada for not kicking up a ROYAL FUSS once it became clear that human rights were being trampled upon.
All the inquiries in the world can't make up for what the citizens of Toronto endured. Too little, too late = completely ineffective!
I just wish you won't get accused by the Toronto police of something you haven't done and spend two days in jail without food, clothes and a place to sleep. There is no justification for something like this to happen in our country.