Columnist Marcus Gee blames the massive security overkill at the Toronto summit on the rhetorical threat from a handful of fringe groups (read the original article here).

I am an activist. I condemn the use of violence by citizens at the upcoming summit demonstrations.

I also condemn sound cannons, water cannons, plastic bullets, CS gas, and the alarming sight of a police officer armed with a machine gun at the corner of Dundas and Yonge at lunch time on Wednesday.

The demonstrations that have already taken place have been completely peaceful. In every case police have massively outnumbered marchers.

The Surete du Quebec admitted using agents provocateurs at the Montebello Summit in 2007. I know. I was there. I unmasked them and asked one to put down the rock he was carrying in his hand. You can take a look on YouTube. The footage has been viewed half a million times.

Now the RCMP confesses they intend to use “infiltrators.” That is a polite word for agents provocateurs.

Security forces continue their massive mobilization, despite CSIS Chief Richard Fadden’s admission there is no evidence of a terrorist threat.

The unrelenting coverage of the security overkill at the summit distracts from the ugly fact that this summit, like all those before it, will be a catastrophic failure when it comes to dealing with the world’s suffering.

Dave Coles
President of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers union (CEP)
613 299 5628 cell