G8/G20: It's coming soon...

Someone in a farming region bought a lot of ammonium nitrate. PANIC IN THE STREETS!!!

With the G8 and G20 summits two weeks away, police aren't taking any chances on a large purchase of fertilizer last month in the Niagara region -- material that could be used in a truck bomb.

Hope to hell it isn't another whack job christian tea bagger trying to blow up the government.  After Oklahoma you have to take that kind of threat seriously.

How could they possibly penetrate perimeter security? All one billion dollars of it?

Something amazing is happening in Toronto. People I know who, for whatever reason, have no interest in protesting or politics are starting to pay attention. The ridiculousness around the cost of the summit and the insanity of the show of force and the militarization of the city has caused people who would never otherwise consider going to a demonstration, or march, or rally to start asking questions. A friend of mine, with whom I got in a huge argument only a month ago over the usefullness of any kind of protest, has said that he's angry about what's happening and wants to do something about it. He wants to march. My bosses, who had been complaining about the protesters for weeks, have now decided to close shop for the weekend and join them because they're angry about what the G20 is doing to the city. Even the media is starting to show signs of life. The TCMN press conference was the lead story all day on CP24 yesterday, and they countered the police statement that there were only 40 cops there.

NoDifferencePartyPooper wrote:

CSIS Threatens Aboriginal Activists re: G20

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/breakingnews/csis-held-clandesti...

"The Aboriginal Peoples' TV Network has video of what it says is a Canadian Security agent warning native activists that blockades during the G20 summit could trigger a reaction from foreign security forces in Canada to protect their leaders.."

Memories of the APEC summit in Vancouver in 1997, when Chretien allowed Suharto to loose his goons in a hotel there, and then there was the pepper-spray police riot on the UBC campus.

On principle, if any agency of the Canadian government is insinuating that foreign security forces have free rein in Canada, then that is a scandal that should see a lot of people fired.

Unfortunately, this country isn't currently run on that sort of principle.

Ha, skdadl. :D  I had a gardening incident on my postage stamp out front.  (Yes, it's MY postage stamp now; I have claimed it.)  I fondly call my little plot out front, "The Herb Cemetery".  Although actually, they've revived somewhat, and my basil is spectacular.

Oh, that's another gardening incident!  Some dumbass let their dog crap in my garden and didn't pick it up!  I hate people who walk their dogs and don't pick up after them.

I never had this problem back when I was renting apartments without yards...

Okay, sorry for the thread drift. :)

I know exactly what you mean, skdadl. I once proliferated over the top, and it was not a pretty sight.

This is interesting. The son of a family friend who has a security license has taken a job doing security for the G20 here in Toronto. He's getting paid $20 an hour. His instructions are that, within the security zone he can ask anybody he wants to show their identification. If they comply his instructions are to let them go on their way. If they refuse, or show any signs of belligerence, his instructions are to detain that person and alert the closest police officer.

absentia wrote:

My neighbours on Springhurst used to make a few bucks parking cars in their front yards during the Ex. It's nice to see a little of the privateering spirit still alive in TO: one gets so bored with trickle-up economics.

Security - especially at public spectacles - is a good indicator of which way a society is tending. How much a leader spends on bodyguards depends on how much anger he expects from the people, which tells you exactly how much he intends to hurt them.

Nothing is going to happen here that couldn't have been accomplished by e-mail; probably all the decisions are already made. The Olympics were a diversion, but this circus is a show of power, not unlike the Mayday parades in Red Square used to be - in case we wondered who's boss around here.  

Well said, absentia. I agree with every word. I live outside the city now, but Toronto was my home for 38 years, and I am beyond shocked and appalled that the vulgar, spoiled, ignorant, adolescent jerks who pass for world leaders these days are about to violate the lives of so many real people who were my neighbours and my friends.

When the Tories realized that they could only humour/promote Clement halfway (the G8), I think they decided to pick on Toronto largely for the reasons you cite. It's obvious that any city as tightly packed as Toronto is going to be paralysed by infernal, polluting cavalcades of Internationally Protected People, but the Tories hate Toronto anyway, so they're probably enjoying it. And the mess they're creating certainly gives them and all their international criminal cohorts a chance to flex a little muscle, just as you say. These meetings have no meaning, just muscle.

ETA: Or as a proper McLuhanite/Derridean would put it, the muscle is the meaning.

absentia wrote:

For maximum security, i propose that all summit meetings - political, economic or military  - henceforth be held on deep-water oil-rigs. The standard crew can be replaced for the duration (It's for only a couple of days. What could go wrong?) by security-cleared contractors, at 100 times roughnecks' wages. Each Glorious Leader will arrive in a corvette from their own navy. These vessels can also be used for socializing and sleep. While meetings are in progress, they circle the rig, looking out for the Rainbow Warrior,  Newfoundland fishing fleet or other activistic activity. If a pipe shoud blow while they're there.... Well, that won't happen, and if it does, i'll apologize.   

A truly excellent plan, even if unlikely to be accepted by the guilty parties in charge of these arrangements.

skdadl wrote:

I read in the Star that, because the hotels are price-gouging (I know: you're shocked), people who live in or near the exclusion zone (condo peeps?) are renting out their places for the duration at amazing prices. Can't say I blame them, but wow, this has become such a display of naked drooling capitalism. (Is that a mixed metaphor? I was going to throw in a proliferating there, but I figured that would be over the top.)

A friend of my husband's is renting her apartment for $8,000 for the duration of G20.

I wonder what I could get for my little house 3k west of downtown...we could move in with my parents, ask our friend to move his car from the backyard.

Flashmobs is a great idea -- can that be done via Facebook, or is that too public? (How do you organize a flashmob anyway -- get enough people, but keep it mostly secret?)

Personally I am not interested in demonstrating for the G8-20

They are expecting demonstrators, there is almost no point that can be made.

I would be interested in rounds of demonstrations where Harper speaks over the next few months domestically. That would be more effective in my view and possibly more educational.

The issue is not to make so much noise on one event where you are going to be on one side of a tall fence and the action on the other-- make it so Harper has to be behind a big fence wherever he goes after.

Let them spend the billion on this but don't use this time to make the point-- make it in other contexts. Make it so the think there will never be an end to the protest -- Don't concentrate on their strongest point where they have planned for it and will hold you away. Wait and protest in other places and other ways .

The nice part is those protests will be regular make the news likely each time but not as likely attract vandals and violence. I am not interested in violent protest in Canada. I believe there is so much more the opposition to this government can do and to be associated with violence and property damage is not going to build a cause on the issues.

This kind of building rotating political protest can be brought right through an election.

Thanks Sineed, it is nice to find some common ground.  :)

Why riot when you can party?

Somewhere aroud here someone said that their revolution included dancing... well here's a couple of opportunities!

1) Thursday June 17 there will be a party to celebrate the opening of the Convergence Space

We're going to warm up the convergence space! Let's make the space ours! We've got DJ's food and a whole lot of fire in our hearts! Think of this as a housewarming for the movement's house! Let's spend time together socializing and dancing before we take to the streets!

When: Thursday, June 17, 2010 8pm
What: MOVEMENT's HOUSEWARMING PARTY
Where: OUR NEW CONVERGENCE SPACE! 1266 Queen Street West (just off of noble)

2) Fever 2010!!!! Take back the streets, Saturday Night! June 26.

This is going to be amazing.

"Billion spent to keep dancers away from world leaders. Dancers happily danced elsewhere."

Wouldn't it be a lovely headline?

Yes! that one is even better.

A globe reader this morning offered Torontonians another means of making a statement. Patricia Chartier sauggests, "For the sake of Canada's image on the international stage, do not give in to your anger at the billion dollars being spent to shut down the city for our important guests.

"Please, turn the other cheek instead - and moon the arrogant bastards as they roll into town."

Personally I think its great for Canada's "image on the international stage" for the world to see the citizens of Toronto and elsewhere standing up, through a diversity of tactics, to this violent thugery that is our own federal government and an international gang of profiteers and felons.

George Victor wrote:

"Please, turn the other cheek instead - and moon the arrogant bastards as they roll into town."

Oh, Satan, you li'l devil, get thee behi... er... Well as tempting as this is, i think empty streets would send a more effective message. Dance, by all means; wear as little you like and bare as much as you're comfortable with, anywhere - everywhere - else! 

Well, geez! The people behind fences undeclared war on the people a long time ago - like at the dawn of civilization. How much they think they can get away with depends on how much we already let them get away with. It builds and builds.... Every couple centuries, we have to cut their heads off, but we never do that until we're pushed beyond endurance. Not there yet. Don't really want to go there. So, maybe - it's a long-shot, but what's to lose? - short-circuit History this time... Ignore them to death?  

absentia wrote:

So, maybe - it's a long-shot, but what's to lose? - short-circuit History this time... Ignore them to death?  

As a silly, tongue in cheek commentary I think the idea of simply ignoring the G20 is quite poignant and, dare I say, cheeky.  Making the gov't even more foolish than they already do by giving them absolutely no reason for any money being spent on security... yeah, in theory. But the more it gets said the more it irks me. (irks?). There is a lot of really hard work going into organizing the G20. Work is being done getting people together, getting people informed, even getting the media to fall in line to some degree. (but we'll see how long that lasts). I think that suggesting that it would be better to do nothing feels like an attempt to undermine all the work that is being done on getting the voice of dissent out there. It also feels like a vote for complacency, which I find it really hard to accept. There are probably intelligent arguments out there against public demonstration, not to say I'd agree with them, and if that's what you're getting at, let's hear that. But I'd really rather not hear these half-hearted suggestions that despite all the work that's being done, doing nothing would be better.

Cytizen H wrote:

I think that suggesting that it would be better to do nothing feels like an attempt to undermine all the work that is being done on getting the voice of dissent out there. It also feels like a vote for complacency, which I find it really hard to accept. There are probably intelligent arguments out there against public demonstration, not to say I'd agree with them, and if that's what you're getting at, let's hear that. But I'd really rather not hear these half-hearted suggestions that despite all the work that's being done, doing nothing would be better.

I was a bit flippant back there. Sorry; i never meant to disparage, let alone undermine, the work being done by all the brave people, young and old, who put themselves on the line. I used to be one - not all that long ago. It's just that i see History rolling along, inexorably: tanks in city squares, and i'm so sick of watching the best of us become road-kill.

Or we could all show up for the Right Wing Nut alternative alternative G20 summit and hear Karl Rove and five or so other Old White Men. If you can afford $95 minimum and a barf bag, that is:

http://www.g20.ca/

You can even go to a Sunday Stop Iran rally at the well known weekend hotspot of Gervais and Don Mills and be seen with tens of fellow travellers.