I was at the protest. I did think it was worthwhile hearing the stories of those who were present and imprisoned last weekend. I listened to Tommy Taylor's story about he and his girlfriend leaving a restaurant and getting arrested. Mayor Miller asked people to do their usual stuff downtown. Tommy and his girlfriend did and got arrested.
Protests are good; however, a media campaign is much better. Have people like Tommy Taylor tell their stories.
Suggested frame: the right to go shopping and eat at restaurants without police interference. Suburban and rural voters can relate to that.
Focus: Suburban and rural voters.
Telling Stories: Tommy Taylor's adventure in downtown Toronto and at the detention centre.
If we want to reach voters across Canada, we should not dwell on the right to protest. Most Canadians do not protest! We should focus on the right to free movement--to go shopping and eat at restaurants without police interference. That is something most Canadians do.
Most suburban, small town, and rural Canadians will not care that gays and lesbians got mistreated at the detention centre. There isn't a very large LGBT community in Orangeville, Ontario. Do mention the fact that gays and lesbians were mistreated, but it should be secondary in terms of framing the issue.
If we focus on just last weekends G20 protests and related arrests, the public outside of downtown Toronto will not care. If we focus on organizing other protests, the media will not care. Protests happen all the time in the city. If we can get people like Tommy Taylor to speak to the media and talk about their experiences of behaving like average Canadians by going shopping and eating at restaurants only to be arrested, then the media and Canadians may take an interest.