There were atrocities committed this weekend in Toronto. And I'm not talking about a few police cars being set on fire.
Being a denizen of the left-wing political blogosphere and a YouTube junkie, I hear all the time about how the main-stream media (MSM) is not to be trusted. They don't do any independent investigative journalism anymore, they just get their taking points and press releases from the government or other officials and don't do any further digging on their own. I always took this with a grain of salt thinking that it can't actually be that bad. But after last weekend I've changed my mind. Whether they can't or they won't, the MSM is no longer up to the task of keeping an eye on our government for the Canadian people. How else to explain this poll?
66% of Canadians, and 73% of Torontonians feel that the police reaction this past weekend in Toronto to G20 protesters was justified.
I am speechless. People in this country are not that heartless or stupid. The only way that makes sense is if the people that were polled didn't see or hear the things that I have. Which means that the MSM has utterly failed. You see, I don't own a TV anymore, so I can't even tell you what was on the National or CTV, but judging from that poll, I'm guessing what people probably saw was images of police cars burning and windows being smashed.
Well, if that's all you saw, that is so, so far from the whole story. First of all, no one, certainly not me, is condoning the actions of the so-called "black bloc" who went on a rampage on Saturday afternoon. The violence and destruction was uncalled for and accomplished nothing. But those were a very, very small percentage of the thousands of protesters who were there doing peaceful demonstrations in the city. And the funny thing is, that despite the fact that the government spent over a billion dollars on security and the city was literally crawling with police officers, for some reason these guys were allowed to get away with it. Why were those police cars abandoned in the road, on a route that they knew protesters were going to be? Why didn't they charge in and arrest people as soon as it started? Well, there's an explanation for that:
If you think that is just being paranoid and is a crazy conspiracy theory, think again. It's been done before. It makes perfect sense given the criticism the government took for the security price tag. Gotta prove to the public that it was worth it, right? So, let a few bad protesters go on a rampage. Send that to the MSM, let the public see those same three police cars burning over and over again. Then you round up peaceful protesters, crushing all dissent, and filling up your cages so you can have some impressive stats about how many people you had to arrest.
Never mind that none of those people did anything wrong. In fact, some of the people weren't even protesters. They were people out for a walk, coming out of restaurants and bars, just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
You must read this account of one person's experience, and then you tell me whether the police response was justified. Or check out this video:
When did singing O Canada become a reason to be trampled over by a line of police in riot gear?
These people's rights were violated. And I don't care if you agree or disagree with what they were protesting about, because some day it could be you. A democracy cannot function without the right to peaceful (which the vast majority of these people were) protest. By protecting their rights, we protect our own. There should be an inquiry into this, but due to that poll in which misinformed people indicated that the protesters got what they deserved, there probably won't be one. But you can help change the government's and police's attitude about this. Write you MP, join the facebook group, and please pass this information on to absolutely everyone you know. The Canadian people deserve to know the truth about what went on in Toronto.
H/t to The Galloping Beaver, A Creative Revolution, and many others.
2 comments:
Check this link out:
http://illicitpopsiclecollective.wordpress.com/2010/07/01/tommy-taylor-how-i-got-arrested-and-abused-at-g20-in-toronto-canada/
My thoughts:
This is insane. We need to get Harper and his government's psychotic dedication to capitalism OUT of parliament. We need to protect our rights. We need to quit our violent culture now before our planet and our grandchildren's futures are in ruins.
My primary thought after reading this post is that the peaceful protesters unlawfully arrested in ... See Moreviolation of human rights during G20/G8 got a taste of what it is like to be ethnic (esp. Indigenous) impoverished or homosexual etc EVERY DAY in this country we call free.
Secondly, how horrifying that police are permitted (encouraged?) to engage in mob-mentality in a way that is going to scar everyone who was unlawfully arrested but most especially gay couples and women. Their rights were violated. If I had been a woman unlawfully arrested and held in violation of my human rights and had police say those things to me, I would be so low right now I don't know if I'd ever get back up again. There is going to be life-long trauma in the lives of those involved as a result of these events. It breaks my heart. Disgusting violent natures are on display and unchecked once power is granted.
Finally, looks like our government is taking on the Bush-style practice of telling lies and then fear-mongering to suppress dissent. Cop cars burn and the very few violent protesters are allowed to reign unchecked for mainstream media photo ops while 1,100 protesters singing songs about peace are rounded up like animals.
Canada, I am so disappointed in you right now. Harper, get out of my country. You aren't welcome where healthy people are struggling to create the communities 200 years of capitalism and colonialism has failed to manifest. We can find a better way.
Uh huh. Harper wasn't kidding when he said you wouldn't recognize Canada when he got through with it. I certainly don't.
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