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Where The Fence’ll Go, Where Most Traffic Won’t, And Where You’d Be Wise to Avoid During the G20

By David Topping


This morning, the Integrated Security Unit—who we have to admit have a great name—announced their “Traffic/Perimeter Plans” for June 26 and 27′s G20 summit.
The black line above surrounds the area that a ten-foot-high fence will enclose (the “Security Perimeter”); the blue surrounds the area that police will only allow selected traffic through (the “Traffic Zone”).
For the perimeter, note the plans:

The fence will be erected in the weeks leading up to the Summit. The Toronto Police Service hopes that members of the public will be able to move freely throughout the fenced perimeter until the evening of Friday, June 25, 2010. However, the Toronto Police Service will have the ability to control access to this area in the days leading up to June 25 if security reasons dictate such control.
Torontonians who live and work within this area have been offered a Registration Card in order to facilitate quick passage through the security checkpoints that will be part of the Toronto Police Service security perimeter.
Members of the public who have not received a Registration Card or who do not live or work in the area but require access into the security perimeter will have to present a piece of photo identification and clearly articulate a specific purpose and destination to be allowed through. This process may take some time and those seeking access into the security perimeter are asked to exercise patience when doing so.

The Star reports that the fence will start to go up on June 7.
For the larger traffic zone:

This perimeter is not a fence; it is the point at which vehicular traffic will engage with a Toronto Police Service officer.
[....]
Anyone living, working or having a specific purpose and destination within this perimeter will not be denied access. However, this engagement with officers may take some time and those seeking access are asked to exercise patience when doing so.

And that’s all just the beginning.

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Comments

  • http://www.laconicreply.com static416

    Any guesses on the Eastern Avenue location they talk about using as the headquarters? They talk about it like they disclosed it’s location, but it doesn’t seem to be listed.
    My guess is a studio in the Distillery or the Public Works/Emergency Services facility west of Booth Ave.
    Just wondering where I should be avoiding.

  • http://undefined Robsonian

    It’s the old Toronto Film Studio building on Eastern, just east of Pape.
    “Due to the scope of the event, the resources of the Toronto Police Service will be located at various locations across the city. The building on Eastern Avenue has been acquired as one of these locations. During the G8-G20 summits, members of the community will see police personnel coming and going from this location. There are no security concerns for the community at this time. This location is not open to the public.”
    That blurb looks like it was written by the Soviet censor.
    My understanding is that they plan on parking arrested protestors behind the huge fence they’ve erected here.
    Further – I understand that bail court will run thru the night at the Scarborough courts (the ones on University will be closed down for the duration of the event.)

  • http://undefined Marc Lostracco

    This empty building (the old temporary Film Port offices) was recently completely boarded up with plywood, and the area was completely fenced-in (including the sidealks) over the last two weeks with a barrier about 3-metres high.

  • http://undefined tithian

    Here’s the thing…
    When you introduce all these high security measures, it really does start to look like the individual members of the G20 are more important, and held with higher regard, than ordinary people, which in turn leads people to draw conspiratorial conclusions about New World Orders and Oligarchies.
    Why is a banking summit more important than, say, the Fan Expo?

  • http://undefined Jeff

    I’m no fan of the summit being here and all that’s going on with it, but I have to say, tithian, this question is quite naive.
    Why is a banking summit more important than the fan expo?
    Let’s think about this one for a minute.
    Are there lots of people who want to protest a fan expo?
    Might these people cause substantial property damage and/or violence?
    Is there a reasonable threat for terrorism directed against a fan expo?
    How about political assassinations?
    I really can’t understand how you’re actually serious here with your comment. The G20 will host leaders and high level officials from 20 different powerful countries. That’s kind of a big deal and unfortunately these people need security and there is a substantial threat of violence, terrorism, etc. when they are around. I’m astounded that you even question the need for this. I’m an ordinary person but I don’t need security because huge crowds of protesters aren’t going to swarm me and people aren’t going to try to kill me.
    Think about it for a second.
    As for why a banking summit is more important than the Fan Expo – come on! A Fan Expo is a nice fun thing. These banking summits decide vital fiscal policy for the world which impacts the world economy which impacts you and everyone else around you.
    I don’t like the summit being here at all and all the crap surrounding it, but what you’re suggesting here is just unbelievable.

  • http://undefined metabaron

    i don’t understand why these guys have to meet in toronto. let them meet up somewhere north (say north pole) – easier to secure and less problems for ordinary folks. this is really a shame. makes me want to protest not because of some political thing, but because they are holding the rest of the toronto citizens hostage. noone has mentioned how much all this will cost as well. whose idea was it anyway?

  • http://undefined Candice

    I completely agree… they ought to be meeting in a remote location. There is plenty of wide, open space in Canada. Building a hotel and somewhere to meet in the middle of nowhere would probably be cheaper!

  • rek

    I completely disagree. These people are deciding policy without any input from the billion or more people they represent, at the very least they should be within earshot of people voicing their dissatisfaction. What kind of message are they sending when they intentionally pick remote locations that are hard to get to and impossible to protest?

  • http://undefined EricSmith

    What kind of message are they sending when they intentionally pick remote locations that are hard to get to and impossible to protest?

    An entirely true and accurate one, sadly enough.

  • http://undefined Robin Rix (Guest Contributor)

    These people are deciding policy without any input from the billion or more people they represent…

    A sincere question: which of the G20 governments do you allege make policy “without any input” from the people they represent?

  • rek

    I’ll answer with a question of my own: Were you consulted about the positions Canada will be taking at the G20 and G8, or have any say in what would be on the agendas?
    These politicians are elected (in one way or another — we don’t vote for the PM directly, for example) but once in office they have free reign to do what they want, popular opinion be damned, committing us individually and collectively to whatever nonsense they come up with for years to come, and pay the price – or not – at the next election.
    And on the topic of funding aid to other countries — countries not represented at the G20 or G8 — what about those billions of people? The closest they get to being represented are the activists.