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Saturday in Toronto – G2O accountabilty rally: Call for the resignation of Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair.

For background information, please see:

Activist Communiqué: The G20 and why I’m glad we didn’t stay home  

People need to tell their G20 story in a public hearing: CCLA and NUPGE

Call for the resignation of Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair.

Demand a public inquiry.

Despite a scathing G20 Breach of Peace report released by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) and the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), we are still lacking a real independent, public inquiry.

We demand:

Accountability from the Toronto Police Service.

Accountability from all levels of government.

So far, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has rejected calls for a public inquiry into police actions during the G20 summit in Toronto last June.

While it is important to keep the heat on the Toronto Police Service and the Government of Ontario, let us not forget that we also need accountability and transparency regarding the role that the RCMP and Harper’s PMOs office.

Saturday March 5, 2011

3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Yonge Dundas Square

TTC: Dundas Station

(Yes, it might rain but are you seriously gonna let a little wet keep you from seeking justice?)

More info http://www.facebook.com/krystalline.kraus#!/event.php?eid=187221771308751&index=1

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The Canadian Civil Liberties Association says: Demand a public G20 inquiry now!

February 28th, 2011:

“It is imperative that there be a full public inquiry into what happened during the G20 in order to get at the truth and ensure it doesn’t happen again. The maintenance of public confidence in law enforcement demands nothing less.”

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the National Union of Public and General Employees are pleased to present this new report, based on the Breach of the Peace – G20 Summit: Accountability in Policing and Governance public hearings the two organizations held in Toronto and Montreal in November 2010.

Download the press release

Based on the issues identified over the course of the public hearings, the report offers a comprehensive overview of the major civil liberties violations that took place during the G20 Summit, and puts forward a series of recommendations aimed at protecting constitutional rights in future public order policing operations.

CCLA invites you to download and read this new report. We look forward to your comments, questions and feedback.

Eight months after the events of the G20, there are a number of ongoing inquiries that are seeking to shed light on what happened. However, none of these investigations have a broad enough mandate to look at all the aspects of policing and public safety and their interplay.

CCLA and NUPGE continue to believe that only a federal, public inquiry can deliver the answers that Canadians deserve.

We ask you to take a stand today, and to send the message below to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and/or Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty to demand a G20 Inquiry Now!

Feel free to copy/paste the text and compose your own email, or send a letter.

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2
Fax: 613-941-6900
E-mail: [email protected]

The Honourable Dalton McGuinty
Premier of Ontario
Legislative Building, Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A1
Fax: 416-325-3745
E-mail: [email protected]

 

Dear Prime Minister Harper and Premier McGuinty:

RE: Public Inquiry into G20 Summit Security

 

I am writing to urge the federal and Ontario governments to establish a joint public inquiry into security measures implemented in association with the 2010 G20 Summit in Toronto.

In the days and months following the G20 Summit, it has become clear that widespread violations of Charter rights and civil liberties occurred during the policing of this event, some of which are documented in the Breach of the Peace Public Hearings report recently released by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and National Union of Public and General Employees. These transgressions have raised many questions which remain unanswered and done significant damage to public confidence in Canada's police services. It is essential that public order policing measures be planned and implemented in a manner that is respectful of Charter rights, including freedom of expression, assembly and association. Unfortunately, security measures during the G20 Summit fell short of this standard.

In a democratic country, such as Canada, the mass arrest of more than 1100 people is an event that must not pass by without proper review and scrutiny. Canadians are entitled to accountability for G20 security excesses and your governments have an essential role to play in providing it. Establishing a comprehensive public inquiry would help address outstanding concerns about G20 security, help restore public confidence in Canadian policing and provide a more respectful framework for future public order policing operations. I implore you to take prompt action to ensure that an inquiry is called.

I would appreciate your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
[insert your name here]

Krystalline Kraus

krystalline kraus is an intrepid explorer and reporter from Toronto, Canada. A veteran activist and journalist for rabble.ca, she needs no aviator goggles, gas mask or red cape but proceeds fearlessly...