Call for a G20 public inquiry into police violence
July 2, 2010
It is not too late to write a letter to the editor regarding the alarming behaviour of the police in Toronto last weekend at the G20 and demanding a public inquiry. Many letters have already been written and this could be a second wave keeping up the momentum.
Most of you I am sure observed the police behaviour and have read stories since about particular instances of brutality and illegal arrests and detention. Use you own experience and observations to demand an independent inquiry.
While many Canadian have seen the violations for themselves it is important that there be official condemnation so that such behaviour does not become the new normal – thus giving police the “right” to bash legitimate dissenters at will.
While there still seems to be some debate re: the role of the Black Bloc in my view they have lost their legitimacy completely and been so infiltrated by the police (either before or during the demonstrations or both) that we should treat all of them as if they were agents.
It is important to copy your letters to the Toronto papers as it is the Ontario government which is most likely to call and inquiry.
Toronto Star: lettertoed@thestar.ca
Globe and Mail: letters@globeandmail.ca
Toronto Sun: torsun.editor@sunmedia.ca
FRAMING: This is an issue of civil liberties and police abusing those liberties with impunity. We need to frame the issue as just one more assault on democracy in this country – following many others. We also need to frame the questions so as to focus attention not just on the police but on their political masters: who was in charge? Who gave police orders to ignore the Black Bloc rampage? Was the systematic abuse of protesters ordered by senior police officials?
Some details of how people were treated can be found here: http://lexgill.com/
Some arguments to pursue in your letters:
- It is critical to the future of democracy in Canada that an independent, preferably judicial, inquiry be held into the police actions – peaceful dissent is a fundamental part of democracy.
- Democracy in Canada has already suffered serious setbacks – the Harper government twice shutting down parliament for his own partisan reasons; the cancellation of funding to groups for disagreeing with the government; the harassment of watch-dog agencies like those overseeing the military, and the RCMP because they were too effective in doing their jobs. This sustained attack on democracy must be stopped.
- Some 200 demonstrators were corralled by scores of police and made to stand in the rain for over two hours…
- A group of demonstrators who had just finished singing Oh, Canada were viciously attacked by dozens of police for merely sitting down in a street already closed by the police themselves…
- Areas designated for demonstrators were raided by police who made scores of arrests
- Conditions in the detention centre were appalling – almost no water, no food, cells meant for 15 holding 40 people
- Refusal to allow access to legal counsel even though counsel was provided by organizers
- There are indications that at least some of the Black Bloc were police agents – this must be investigated and those responsible charged for their crimes.
- Did police burn their own cars? See this story and decide for yourself: http://www.prisonplanet.com/peaceful-protesters-attacked-arrested-while-cop-car-arsonists-left-alone.html and http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=19928
- Canadians need to realize that their democracy is under threat and take action or things will be certain to get worse.
- The Black Bloc are also a threat to democracy because they give cover to the agents provocateurs and thus justify police violence in return. They are rarely the ones who get beaten up by the cops. Next time genuine demonstrators should intervene and stop these people from doing property damage – and from allowing the media to ignore the reasons for the demonstrations.
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