The City of Toronto thinks the police did an outstanding job during the G20 Summit protests.
It’s true! I’m serious. It’s true. Stop looking at me like I’ve grown a second head!
City council commends “outstanding” police G20 work
Quote: After an emotional morning-long debate, city council voted 36-0 to “commend the outstanding work” of Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair, his officers and other police forces working during the G20 summit in Toronto.
Two amendments — lauding Blair for supporting a civilian review planned by the Toronto Police Services board, and the board itself for “exercising its appropriate oversight role” — passed 35-1, with Councillor Rob Ford, a candidate for mayor, the nay on both votes.
The decision was unanimous because some who voiced opposition to Grimes’s motion, including Councillor Gord Perks (Ward 14, Parkdale-High Park) and others from council’s left wing, weren’t present when the vote was called.
Other councillors said the amendments, proposed by Mayor David Miller and Councillor Shelley Carroll, made the motion more palatable by acknowledging the importance of holding an external review.
Ford, alone in his vote opposing the inquiry, said that in the face of anarchists who ran down Yonge St. smashing shop windows, “our police were too nice.”
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A great job? WTF?
–Massive violations of civil rights?
–Our Police Chief lying about the extent of police powers?
–A security fence that now costs double its original amount, totalling $9.4 Million?
–A Toronto Police Service that will control the parameters of its own review of G20 policing?
Can I remind members of Toronto Council that we’re pissed off because we were all lied to. Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair lied.
News is now rolling out that there were no extra special powers granted to the police over the period that the G20 Summit was in Toronto.
Quote: As angry protesters chanted “Shame!” and called for his resignation, Chief Bill Blair tipped his cap and smiled at the crowd of about 100 people on his way into a Pride Week event hosted by Toronto police.
He left the event after 30 minutes, again needing an escort of members his own force to get through the mob.
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The Toronto Community Mobilization Network released this immediate statement in return:
We cannot let this go without an immediate response. City council voted 36-0 to “commend the outstanding work” of Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair.
Contact your city councilor and let them know that you want to see the resignation of Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair. What happened during the G20 summit in Toronto was a complete violation of civil liberties and hundreds of unprovoked arrests.
There are countless stories of people being brutalized and having their rights taken away. There needs to be a full public inquiry of police strategy, budget, and decision-making that surrounded the G20 security operations.
You can find the phone number of your local councillor at the following website: http://app.toronto.ca/im/council/councillors.jsp
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Pissed off? Good! Now bring your pissed off self and your malcontent friends down to Queen’s Park on Saturday July 10, 2010 for Civil Liberties Demonstration. Start time 1:00 p.m.
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