Violent Protest

[Wezil]

It was the lack of willingness to do anything about the troublemakers outside the designated zones that has pissed people off. It really was a small number of actual "criminals".

[Wezil]

To be clear Flubber - The G20 meeting site was more than safe. The protests never came anywhere close to them.

[Flubber]

It was the lack of willingness to do anything about the troublemakers outside the designated zones that has pissed people off. It really was a small number of actual "criminals".

It always is a small number. Thats the problem. They hide among the hundreds, do some damage and then disappear. I don't think its possible to prevent damage--You may be able to catch some of the vandals but even that depends on how co-operative the crowd is

[Wezil]

Flubber -

But before he gets to that apology, Blair should apologize first to the merchants of Yonge St., who were left alone Saturday to fend for themselves while police were everywhere else in massive numbers.

The way I see it, his response Saturday was an under-reaction to violence and criminal activity happening right in front of the 19,000 police officers under his command. On Sunday, it was a gross over-reaction to arrest more than 900 people to make up for the embarrassing whipping he took from some goofy black-shirted kids Saturday.

http://www.torontosun.com/news/columnists/joe_warmington/2010/06/28/14549421.html

A police reporter (generally supportive) in a right wing paper.

What happened Saturday (and Sunday for that matter) was a disgrace of policing.

[Wezil]

And from the left - The Star editorial:

The strategy that ensured G20 leaders would never have to see a Canadian who wasn’t a politician, a police officer or a waiter lacked even a glimmer of common sense when it came to the security of Toronto and Torontonians.

They took our city to hold a meeting and bullied us out of the core, damaging the commerce of thousands of merchants and inconveniencing the entire population. Then, they failed to protect our property. Along Yonge St., as self-described anarchists were smashing stores unopposed, terrified merchants and their staffs sought shelter behind counters and in basements. If these establishments had been set alight, all of the thousands of fearsomely equipped police would have been able to do little more to save our citizens than they did to save their burning cruisers.

For the last few days, the city has looked like a vast reality TV set, where heavily garbed gladiators in black, burdened under bullet-proof vests, guns, walkie-talkies, shields and batons, try to chase down a wild, quick-footed band of anti-gladiators in black sweat suits and bandanas. And it cost us $1.2-billion to stage and choreograph this grossly unequal contest.

Canadian authorities knew that this overweening show of paramilitary hubris would draw the violent dregs of nihilism from around the world. Previous summits offered stark and certain warnings. Given that, the attempt to provide security for the city and its inhabitants has been a sad and disturbing failure.

...

Canadian authorities created a city no citizen could recognize and no visitor could admire. Then, they allowed a pack of brutes to trash it.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/829601--g20-editorial-brutal-spectacle-failed-a-city-and-its-people

[Frozzy]

THats always been my take as well yet EVERY time there seem to be a fairly large number of them-- larger than would be accounted for by the truly lunatic fringe. All they seem to do is bump up the security cost of the conference and break a few things.

Whuile some might have a "message" it gets lumped in with so many other messages as to become a babble.

When the g8 was in Calgary I talked to a few protesters and was surprised at how many couldn't articulate much beyond a distaste for "globalization", 'big corporations" or "government waste"

There are a lot of people who read things like No Logo, which is a very good rallying cry for the anti-globalisation movement though notable for its lack of any practical solutions. When the industralised nations get together they're perceived as personifying the supposed unspoken supporters poverty and corporatist injustice. It's a big pitfall of a lot of the anti-globalisation movement.

The vocal pro-globalisation movement isn't much better by the way, there's a lot of patronising arrogance towards some genuine concerns of the globalisation movement which are brushed off as being unintelligent or misinformed. A lot of the criticism Naomi Klein got after No Logo was published was unnecessary and most unfortunate.

There is a need for a debate on the effects of globalisation, but plainly neither side is mature enough to have it yet. Frankly, they could both do with growing up and acquiring the ability of empathy.

[Elok]

I am shocked and dismayed to learn that violent protesters got away with it. What happened to rubber bullets, or shotguns firing beanbags? I could understand if they just couldn't catch up with them to club them properly...

[notyoueither]

[Asher]

Least some of them self-policed:



The best part? Even the looter turns around to apologize for bumping into the Asian guy. Canada

Second best part? The Asian guy was about to loot himself, saw the other guy get tackled and quickly changed his mind.

[SlowwHand]

Loot himself? Those Asians are crazy.