My MPP is going to be getting a strongly worded letter, copies of the stories I’ve written on this, and a bill for my time. I don’t expect anything out of it…

Check out CBC’s G20 Blog, my stuff is there, as well as about 15 other bloggers.

http://the-legion-of-decency.blogspot.com/2010/06/hannibal-at-gates-of-toronto.html

The fact that they specifically passed a regulation to clarify the situation was actually going above and beyond in a way, although I’m sure the real reason for it was to cover themselves for the inevitable challenges that would come later.

The fact that the Public Works Protection Act is so broad and sweeping to begin with is far more worrisome than its application to a few specific areas and events over the past couple of days.

I read somewhere that the UK ministry of defence had a stalled project to build aircraft, and that their legal duty was to supply the aircraft to military bases by a specific date – so they tried to declare the workshop floor at Boeing a ‘military base’

It’s important that whoever dreamt this scheme up is found and figuratively flayed alive in the courts. The G20 is not a public work. The officer is misusing his powers. If the officer states it’s a public work in court, he is committing perjury.

They make the tinfoil hat crowd look only marginally skeptical by comparison.

Anyway, it’s not perjury. Because of the way the law is written, the cop could claim I was the “gosh darn Loch Ness monster out lookin’ for tree-fitty” and his word is correct. THAT is the worst part of the law. Obviously a judge would see past that…but the fact remains. The officer themselves unfortunately are on the short end of the stick with this one. I was just searched about an hour ago. He asked if he could, I said I don’t really have a choice and he said no. I could tell they didn’t want to do this…
The fault of this is a 1990 law that has been misapplied to this situation. Also to the Police Chief for ASKING for this power. It’s the OTHER cops that are not in this area doing the same thing…they may not know that they are not under this rule…
In this instance I say don’t blame the cops. Don’t tell them they’re wrong…but ask if they could do the same thing next weekend if they were there. If the answer is yes…then it’s the cop and NOT the law…

Add to that people saying “but why were the police cars abandoned?? It was a setup!!” and my eyes are about to roll out of my heads.

Do I have that correct?

usually in these situations cops arrest and detain without charges and then release, but they have just taken this already disgusting practice one egregious step further. This makes me really really angry.

BTW Pflug doesn’t rhyme with Doug. It’s pronounced FLOOG so it rhymes with MOOG.

The majority yes, were there in peaceful protest, but the black bloc asshats breaking down windows, and the mobs of youth swarming cops taking cell phone pics make this whole thing a mess.

Just a media tip, if CBC shoves a camera in your face for a sound bite on why your fucking protesting, please ensure you have a reason other than to be on tv.

Windows smashed at such Outposts of Imperialism as Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Urban Outfitters, and American Apparel. A few police cars set on fire.

Windows already being replaced or boarded up. The police will have to buy a few new cars. So the only things these actions demonstrated is the efficiency of capitalism.

Watch the protesters earlier. Mostly young, full of earnest self-righteousness. Chanting the usual hackneyed slogans. Along with a few oldsters reliving their youth.

Conclusion. Their protests, peaceful or violent, will have zero influence on global events.

That Stephen Harper would behave this way is not so surprising, but even the provincial Liberals are going along with this suspension of civil liberties… As a “new Canadian” and a Torontonian, I find it — and the failure of the media to protest against it — profoundly depressing.

A petition has started up to oppose the measure which was enacted to allow for search, ID and arrest without cause. Please take the time to get involved and encourage your friends too!

I USED to think Canadians genuinely cared about the environment, civil liberties, and doing what’s right.

I hope you’ll reconsider your point of view.

Why did the police choose to usher the media in at that moment?

Why did 1,000 police officers stand by, just a few meters away, while an idiot protester jumped up and down on one of the cars?

Why did the same 1,000 police officers continue to stand by and watch all three cars get torched?

Why did they wait until the media got plenty of footage of that before they picked up the fire extinguishers that had ready, and put out the fires?

Either the police were very, very stupid or they were very, very smart.

My money’s on the later, because now, the next day, they’ve swept up over 500 people on the pretense of looking for the handful who torched the cars.

It’s just arbitrary power.

A few snapshots of some RCMPs outside the Toronto Metro Convention Center later, I’ve been asked to reveal the contents of my camera (I refused) and my passport number has recorded.

Being a paranoid chap, I’m now worried about any of three possibilities happening. First, this might make it more difficult for me to fly home. Second, I might actually have something to file a FOIA request over. Third, this might further screw up my chances at renewing my visa.

All for photographing cops.