G20 Police Abuses by Gary Morton

Toronto, June 30^th  2010
http://citizensontheweb.ca

I escaped arrest at the G20, was at one key protest event and was often present as just a civilian who lives downtown.

I plan to file a Police Complaint and these condensed facts point to key problems everyone in downtown Toronto faced.

1. I emailed the Integrated Security Unit long before the event, they promised info but it never came. I asked if it would be safe to protest at Queen’s Park or would Allan Gardens be better. The media and police chief had said Queen’s Park would be a Free Speech Zone. They would not reply, and it looks like the reason is they had it planned that all areas of downtown would be search and arrest zones. Sometimes the arrests were people being outright snatched off the street.

2. I was illegally searched in Allan Gardens entering the Friday OCAP protest, which went well with very little violence. The police ran out and searched my bag then demanded ID and asked trick questions. I told them they were performing an illegal search … that the news was that the provincial government had passed an ordinance allowing searches at the fence. (I later found that was only inside the fence.) The two officers told me they would be searching in all of downtown and had been empowered to do so. I had earplugs in my pack and they informed me I would not need them as the LRAD sound cannon would not be used at all during the weekend and there would be no police announcements. And that in fact happened. Also, the argument over the ordinance allowing police to search people inside the fence has turned into a long term red herring with media and politicians continually arguing over it and not noting that mass search took place all over downtown Toronto.

3. I found that most protest people I know were searched, one friend five times. None were near the fence and the police told them all that they’d been empowered to search everyone. Throughout the weekend I witnessed searches on Queen Street, Bathurst Street and other locations. Often just ordinary pedestrians were searched. I avoided further searches and arrest by traveling on a racing bike and going nowhere on foot.

4. Saturday afternoon I arrived down by Queens Park and went to other areas of downtown. The police had completely abandoned the Yonge Street area, apparently before and after the Black Bloc protesters vandalized stores, and many streets were a mix of citizens and protesters strolling about without conflict, though there was no traffic control.

5. Various pockets were full of peaceful protesters and police, including one by the fence. Often the protesters were joking and taunting the police but they were not engaged in violent actions at that time. When I rode up by Queen’s Park it was a total arrest zone and the quickest way to get arrested was to go over to the supposed Free Speech Zone, North Queen’s Park. I warned some people not to go in there, but they did and were arrested. I fled one area after police pulled up in a van and jumped out to make snatches.

6. I witnessed arrests here and there and barely avoided arrest myself. Some arrests were smart aleck guys that police targeted, but increasingly it became evident that everyone was a target. Mass arrest was underway though unannounced.

7. Sunday I was up the street from the controversial Queen and Spadina confrontation, standing with ordinary residents and some girls that had been in a bike protest.

By this time

* There was no freedom of assembly in downtown Toronto; you were in danger of being arrested at any location out on the street.

* Police also searched as many people as they could, so you had no freedom from search.

* Not only could you not assemble you could not be an ordinary person out on the street without risking both arrest, police verbal abuse, violence and detention.

* Police made no announcements to the public in any way and they did not define any safe area where peaceful protesters or even local residents could gather.

* These are all rights guaranteed by our Charter, and they ceased to exist in Toronto. Yet no one has taken responsibility for this. We all want to know who ordered mass search, arrest and detention and under what laws and powers? And who ordered the use of brutal force?

In incidents like Queen and Spadina and the detention centre protest ordinary citizens got trapped and others were terrified and brutalized. The police terrified local residents more than protesters. When riot police marched down Spadina Ave beating their shields and grunting, some local residents outright fled and I was left with two protester girls as police marched by. We were breaking no law, but could just as easily have been beaten, detained and charged. Especially because the girls were at times speaking French and police were targeting French people.

 So basically that’s my complaint

The Public has a right to know who was responsible for the complete suspension of Charter Rights and mass arrest and detention during the G20 weekend in downtown Toronto.

Was it Police Chief Bill Blair or Mayor David Miller?

Was it because of Premier Dalton McGuinty’s secret ordinance?

Did Prime Minister Stephen Harper, his Minister of Justice or the Integrated Security Unit order it?

Was it because the RCMP headed by Alphonse MacNeil were in charge and using video surveillance of the city from hidden command posts?

Did the OPP and Julian Fantino have something to do with it.

Were all of the above in communication?

If I wanted to sue someone who would I sue?

I know that the Canadian Civil Liberties Union has launched a joint lawsuit for those arrested, but without a public inquiry and the release of police video, how will we ever know what really happened. Because I was there I know that video from surveillance cameras will show a lot of illegal searches and police abuse of non violent protesters and the general public. Snatches and phony arrests are also on that video, but it is only being used for the purpose of making further arrests.

Thank you,

Gary Morton, June 30, 2010

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