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G20 Live: Sunday
This weekend, Torontoist is covering the G20 summit live, all day and all night, both from the streets and from the inside. Updates—from our reporters, photographers, and readers—are in reverse-chronological order below. Our full G20 coverage is collected here; you can also follow us on Twitter.
HOW TO SEND US UPDATES We want your G20 stories, photos, links, and tips. Email G20@torontoist.com, send updates to @torontoist on Twitter, or submit your photos to Torontoist’s Flickr pool.
5:09 AM: From across downtown on Sunday, a collection of some of the best photos from Torontoist’s photographers and readers. Three of those photos:
Photos by Ryan Walker/Torontoist, Andrew Louis/Torontoist, and Nick Kozak/Torontoist.
After a full three days, our live G20 coverage ends now, though we’ll have much more about the G20 in its wake in the days and weeks ahead. This weekend’s end is just the start. DT
4:25 AM: As promised earlier, video from Torontoist’s Ryan Walker, recorded at 6:50 p.m. today, as police officers charged into a crowd who had just finished singing “O Canada”:
The Toronto Star, among many others, is calling for an inquiry of the entire G20 weekend. DT
1:07 AM: The streets have quieted down for the night, but we’ll have more coverage over the next couple of hours, including a gallery of photos from today and Ryan Walker’s video of the police charging the crowd at Queen and Spadina late this afternoon. HD
12:45 AM: A few hours ago a call went out on Twitter: people were being let out of the Eastern Avenue detention centre, some without their shoes or belongings, and needed rides home. Others on Twitter who have cars started driving down to the makeshift jail and have been giving people lifts home ever since. HD
12:12 AM: The Toronto Police Service has just announced that the perimeter fence has been opened. HD
11:51 PM: Another video from Queen and Spadina, this one of the assembled crowd before the police charge:
The video was shot by Justin Stayshyn, who was among those detained for hours by police at the intersection. HD
11:46 PM: People across the city are wrestling with the causes and implications of police actions today. Just spotted perhaps the first Facebook group: “Canadians Demanding a Public Inquiry into Toronto G20.” Pressure mounting in anticipation of David Miller’s press conference tomorrow morning. (We’ll be updating from there shortly after 11 a.m.) HD
11:22 PM: The YouTube video of police charging protesters who had just finished singing “O Canada” on Queen, which we shared earlier, was a truncated one. Here it is in higher definition, including the full anthem and full charge:
We’ve learned that the video was recorded by Meghann Millard, a partner at Unspace Interactive, from Unspace’s offices. On the ground, Torontoist’s Ryan Walker was also recording video, which we’ll be publishing shortly. DT
11:05 PM: Staff Superintendent Jeff McGuire of the Toronto Police Service held a press conference to address questions about police actions this evening at Queen and Spadina. He said that police took the actions that they did (roughly: charging the crowd and detaining many people for hours on site without charge or explanation) because they have received information that Black Bloc protesters were in the crowd as well as “people who chose not to disassociate themselves” from them. HD
10:30 PM: Global is reporting that the total number of arrests for the G20, according to the Integrated Security Unit, is 604 as of 10:15 p.m. on Sunday. DT
10:22 PM: From the Star, and from the lips of Stephen Harper: “We obviously deplore the actions of a few thugs. But the reality is, unfortunately, that these summits attract this element and [that] has been a problem, as we know, around the world….That said, I think that goes a long way to explaining why we have the kind of security costs around these summits that we do.” DT
9:56 PM: It may well be a long night. Jackson Proskow of Global reports that the detention centre has “busses full of detainees arriving”; the Globe reports that “extra officers will remain in the city at least until Monday night” and the security perimeter fence “will remain in place a little longer.” DT
9:40 PM: At Queen and Spadina, reports Steve Kupferman, “TTC buses are being used to hail away arrestees”; police are loading them on now. DT
9:34 PM: From OpenFile, a short interview with Jesse Rosenfeld, the Guardian freelancer who Steve Paikin says he saw assaulted by police officers last night. Rosenfeld was released earlier today. DT
9:28 PM: Amnesty International is “call[ing] on the Canadian government and the government of the province of Ontario to cooperate in launching an independent review of the security measures that were put in place for the G8 and G20 Summits. The review should include opportunities for public input and the results should be released to the public.” HD
9:22 PM: Two of the National Post‘s photographers—Brett Gundlock and Colin O’Connor—were arrested and in custody for twenty-four hours, including an overnight stay at Eastern Avenue’s temporary detention centre. The Post has more, including photos of Gundlock as he was tackled by police officers. DT
8:56 PM: Torontoist’s Andrew Louis files this photo of Selena Flood and Seamus Parker from 7:45 p.m., just after both were released from the Eastern Avenue detention centre:
Photo by Andrew Louis/Torontoist.
Flood and Parker, reports Louis, “had just been released an hour before without being charged. They were acting as medics in the protests yesterday and got detained,” and are pictured here picking up the “personal property bags that the police put [their] possessions in….They were waiting for the streetcar to go home after getting a coffee. They were all happy and talkative.” DT
8:41 PM: TTC buses arriving north of Queen on Spadina. They say “chartered.” Officer says TTC buses are for cops. SK
8:33 PM: At least one thing will be back to normal tomorrow: the TTC. Adam Giambrone just tweeted that “TTC expects to run regular service tomorrow morning across the city including downtown.” DT
8:15 PM: Spacing has just posted a video they have found of police charging the crowd at Queen and Spadina. HD
7:47 PM: Police are gradually releasing more detainees from the Eastern Avenue facility; they have apparently run out of space for them all. HD
7:36 PM: Environment Canada has just issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Toronto. HD
7:29 PM: Crowds dispersing at Queen and Spadina because of the rain. HD
7:20 PM: A fresh report from Ryan Walker: no tear gas has been fired but police are wearing their gas masks. Plainclothes officers are detaining, and in some cases tackling, some of those assembled at Queen and Spadina. HD
7:17 PM: There seems to be something going on with telecommunication at Queen and Spadina. Chris Bird keeps calling us but cannot hear when we talk, the CTV news feed have stopped, others are reporting that friends in the area have suddenly stopped tweeting. Trying to ascertain what’s going on. HD
7:09 PM: Cops in solid wall around intersection. Bystanders taking refuge from the rain. SK
7:06 PM: Jesse Rosenfeld has just been released, a few hours earlier than anticipated. HD
7:01 PM: Christopher Bird is also now in the vicinity of Queen and Spadina. He says that the intersection is completely locked down and police are on all sides. Media is being escorted out of the area. HD
6:51 PM: Our photographer Ryan Walker just called in from Queen and Spadina. The crowd broke out into “Oh Canada,” police stormed as soon as song was done, people fleeing. HD
6:38 PM: Things still extremely tense at Queen and Spadina. CityNews is reporting that the police are preparing to use tear gas in a few minutes. HD
6:29 PM: Some more helpful reading: the National Post has a good primer on the Eastern Avenue detention centre, as well as an assessment of how the protests here compare to other G20 summits. (Short answer: ours are, relatively speaking, “no big deal.”) And the Star has an update from the courthouse on Finch Avenue, where detainees are being processed. HD
6:21 PM: Huge crowd and lots of police now gathered at Queen and Spadina. The sound cannon has been spotted. HD
6:09 PM: Nancy Paiva has just returned from the prayer vigil at King and Bay. A riot officer there told her that they will let organizer Maggie Helwig and other participants remain as long as they want, with no plans for arrest as they are not breaking any laws. HD
6:06 PM: Back at detention centre. No riot police. Traffic on Eastern Avenue going through. Lots more people being released to loud cheers. Very calm crowd. AL
5:55 PM: More TTC updates: the 504 King streetcar is still on diversion. There is also now no service on the 501 Queen car between Church and Roncesvalles. The 510 Spadina line is holding at Queen Street. HD
5:51 PM: In official summit updates, Harper has now delivered the official G20 summit statement; the Globe and Mail has a full text copy of it. HD
5:37 PM: Nick Kozak just called in from Queen and Noble: protesters and police have largely dispersed and the street seems to be returning to normal. And Ryan Walker, who is at Jimmie Simpson park to check out a planned protest there, has a similarly quiet update. “Lots of police buses and vans. No anarchists.” HD
Jimmie Simpson Park at 5:45 p.m.: “No anarchists. Only dog walkers and badketball players. Police waiting around.” Andrew Louis/Torontoist.
5:28 PM: An update regarding Jesse Rosenfeld, the reporter who had been filing stories for the Guardian and was detained last night: he is confirmed to be at the Eastern Avenue detention facility, and is expected to be released from there at about 11 p.m. tonight. HD
5:11 PM: Expect traffic delays in the hours ahead: official G20 summit proceedings are winding down, and motorcades are on the road transporting many of the attending officials. HD
5:07 PM: No arrests [at Eastern Avenue] yet. A few more detainees let out—lots of cheering each time. Riot police calm, visors up. Some of the bike group has left. AL
5:04 PM: The 504 King streetcar is now being diverted between Church and Spadina due to police activity; we are hearing that riot police are now on scene at the prayer vigil at King and Bay. HD
4:48 PM: Cheering and singing [at Eastern Avenue]: “solidarity forever, united we are strong” to the tune of Battle Hymn of the Republic. Police have given five minutes to leave “or you will be arrested.” AL
Photos by Andrew Louis/Torontoist.
4:28 PM: A much-needed protest of violent protests, photographed by Emily Shepard at Queen and University earlier:
Photo by Emily Shepard/Torontoist.
The next protest expected this afternoon is the “Fire Works for Prisons” demonstration, congregating at Jimmie Simpson Park in the city’s east end, at 5 p.m. The organizing group has something of a distaste for prisons and for media. DT
4:20 PM: And Nancy Paiva, with the (thus far altogether peaceful) prayer vigil at Bay and King, reports that organizer Maggie Helwig has been asked by police to leave, but has told police she won’t. DT
4:16 PM: Protester representative Michael Lessard [who is not a police representative, as we mistakenly said earlier ] now tells Torontoist’s Chris Bird that there have been two official detentions made, but no arrests, at Queen and Noble. More as we get it. DT
Queen and Noble. Photo by Christopher Drost/Torontoist.
4:08 PM: More from Chris Bird on arrests taking place at Queen and Noble: earlier, a bus was leaving from Nobel, bound for Quebec City. Police officers arrived, stopped the bus, and herded everyone off it, detaining twenty people, and arresting two or three (not a half-dozen, as we previously reported). About eighty people are standing around at the intersection right now, reports Bird. DT
4:05 PM: The bike parade has made its way to the Eastern Avenue detention facility, where protesters are now facing off with police. We are hearing some reports of arrests. Much chanting: “Whose streets? Our street!” and “Free our friends!” Torontoist’s Nick Kozak is on his way. HD
4:02 PM: Some of the protesters who have been detained by police and held at the Eastern Avenue facility are now being released via the courthouse at 2201 Finch Avenue West. HD
3:53 PM: We hear from Christopher Bird that arrests of at least a half-dozen apparent G20 protesters are taking place right now at Queen and Noble, shortly after a protest group—it’s not clear yet which—gave a makeshift press conference. It’s relatively calm (“some people are chanting a little bit” and fifty or so people are watching, reports Bird), with more than a dozen police officers on the scene. DT
3:47 PM: Final update: the prayer vigil is still praying, and police have contained the small, seated group on Bay just south of King. Even though there are a lot of gawkers, there is not much going on. ES
3:24 PM: Yesterday was busy, with rapid-fire updates from morning until well past dark. Our Christopher Bird offers a complete run-down of Saturday’s protests—as many of them as he and photographer Christopher Drost were able to see—to provide a big-picture overview. HD
3:15 PM: Sixteen hours after Torontoist reporter Wyndham Bettencourt-McCarthy was struck by a police officer with a baton yesterday outside of Queen’s Park, she sends this photo, of the bruise above her hip, which she says is “much more intense” than it was yesterday:
Photo by Alixandra Gould.
DT
3:12 PM: The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is denouncing what it is calling “sweeping arrests” of G20 protesters. Among the organization’s concerns: the arrest of reporters and CCLA monitors, detainees not having access to lawyers, and suspension of the presumption of innocence. HD
3:05 PM: Some Sunday afternoon reading, about how the G20 summit will shape the world economy, how much it will help poor nations in need of aid, what the protests mean for Toronto, and whether future summits should even be held at all. HD
2:58 PM: Right now, the prayer vigil, stopped at Bay and King, is (as expected) “praying, and the cops are giving the seated protesters some space,” says Emily Shepard. Stephen Michalowicz, also on the scene, notes that “some participants are now sitting as they sing. Number of cops and media people surrounding the protest is ridiculous.” “Basically all that is happening is a responsive prayer led by the seated woman with the megaphone about peace, war, etc. Totally calm,” reports Shepard.
Remi Carreiro, who was with the bike protest as it passed Robarts Library on U of T campus at 1:30 p.m., sends this photo:
Photo by Remi Carreiro/Torontoist.
DT
2:45 PM: Emily Shepard sends these photos, of the prayer vigil proceeding along King:
Photos by Emily Shepard/Torontoist.
Sheppard reports that “cops [are] stopping us south on Bay. People sitting down.” DT
2:38 PM: Did you know that this big screen at the International Media Centre—delivering live, uncompressed HD video, via microwave transmitters—costs about ~$300 a second?
Photo by Christopher Drost/Torontoist.
Chris Bird files this report from inside the Direct Energy Centre. DT
2:31 PM: At the King and Church prayer vigil, “we’re actually waiting for the cops to escort us,” reports Emily Shepard. DT
2:15 PM: At King and Church’s prayer vigil, Emily Shepard reports that the stated “guidelines for the vigil [are] no threatening behaviour, no abusive language, no damage to property, no covering of faces with bandanas or masks. ‘We do not need to hide our faces.’”
The vigil, she says, “will walk west on King to Bay, and south on Bay to the Wellington [security fence] barrier,” though “We’re not moving yet. Some prayers being handed out on paper—none said aloud. I’d say 100 to 150 pray-ers. Very mixed in age, and no one dressed to intimidate.”
“Those planning to risk arrest are to fill out a personal information form to facilitate legal representation. This is remarkably subdued. There are maybe three cops.”
Stephen Michalowicz, also there, agrees—one speaker earlier told that crowd, he reports, that “we will not attempt to go through the police barricade…if they stop us, we will sit and pray.” DT
2:10 PM: When the (very peaceful) bike rally made its way to Queen’s Park earlier, riders yelled “Whose street? Our street!” says Stephen Michalowicz. Our Deborah Mensah-Bonsu shot this photo of a cop shooting a photo of her on his iPhone, at Bloor and Spadina:
Photo by Deborah Mensah-Bonsu/Torontoist.
Meanwhile, at the prayer vigil at King and Church, reports Emily Shepard, “I think there is more media at this vigil than protesters. We’re at least on par.” There are plans to walk to the security fence later—which Stephen Michalowicz is now reporting there is “absolutely nothing happening along….Things are pretty boring down here.” DT
1:35 PM: Critical Mass directed off Spadina by cops with gas masks, tear gas guns in hand, etc. The mass occupied Spadina for a few short blocks. ZZ
1:21 PM: The latest from the Critical Mass ride at Bloor and Spadina, from Suzannah Showler: “police on bikes [were] blocking Critical Mass from starting,” and were met with a “giant chant of ‘Let us ride!’”—police have since done so, and the protest is on the move now. DT
1:19 PM: After we featured this photo on Saturday, by Harry Choi, of a line of police in riot gear on University, Twitter follower Jim Kelly demanded a reworking of it, Abbey Road–style. Thanks to Twitter user @kvantum, we got one yesterday. DT
1:16 PM: From Suzannah Showler, with the bike protest at Bloor and Spadina now: “Guy stood up at Critical Mass to ask that things stay non-violent. General agreement of bell-ringing in response.” DT
1:12 PM: Travel alert: 680News is reporting that the westbound Gardiner, from the Don Valley Parkway to Highway 427, is closed, including all on- and off-ramps. HD
1:01 PM: A few cops arriving [at Bloor and Spadina]. Their badges say Saskatoon. They’re just chatting with people so far. SS
12:54 PM: About fifty people have started to gather for a planned bike parade at Bloor and Spadina, reports Suzannah Showler. HD
12:48 PM: The protest was broken up by police using batons and rubber bullets. Tasers were drawn, but not used. Some people were arrested. No tear gas reported. ES
12:46 PM: This weekend’s Historicist puts the extended G20 police powers in context. DT
12:33 PM: The scene outside the Eastern Avenue detention centre at 11:58–11:59 a.m.:
Photos by Nick Kozak/Torontoist.
12:25 PM: According to the Star, also at the detention centre: “Arrests are taking place. A coachload of police officers arrived at scene. Group of protesters chants: ‘We are peaceful, how about you?; Police charged group, hitting two with batons. Riot police continue to hold position, hammering their shields with their batons.” HD
12:17 PM: Protesters are on Queen trying to go south on Pape…police line blocking the protesters from moving south. No tear gas deployed. It was a smoke bomb, according to the CCLA observer beside me. ES
A bus full of police officers unloading at the Eastern Avenue detention centre at about 12:10 p.m. Photo by Emily Shepard/Torontoist.
12:04 PM: The protest at Eastern Avenue is heating up. Riot police are gathering and tensions are high. Though a couple of minutes ago reports indicated that tear gas had been deployed, CBC Radio is now saying that the cloud visible on the scene is not tear gas. HD
11:57 AM: The Toronto Police Service has just issued a press release announcing the creation of a “G20 Investigative Team to examine all crimes committed during the Summit.” More from the release:
Chief William Blair said, “There is a small group of criminals, whose only motivations are violence and destruction, who have appalled those who came to express their views in a peaceful manner. We will investigate every crime committed at the Summit, and track down and charge all those responsible. I would ask those who have information, images, or video to work with us to hold accountable those who have chosen violence.”
Anyone with information, images, or video is asked to send them to corporatecommunications@torontopolice.on.ca, or take them to any Toronto police station.
We’re surprised that TPS is using their corporate communications email address to solicit tips, and not sure why they would direct anyone with information about criminal activity to a communications department. HD
11:29 AM: Police removing people from UofT a few minutes ago:
Photos by Emily Shepard/Torontoist.
11:16 AM: Important matters are being decided right now. Banking policy, yes, but also a knock-out Round of Sixteen World Cup match between Germany and England. About one hundred reporters are currently gathered in the bar at the International Media Centre at Exhibition Place, watching the game intently:
Photos by Christopher Drost/Torontoist.
Christopher Drost, who is at the Direct Energy Centre right now, says the cheering can be heard clear across the building. No reports on whether a betting pool has also been started. HD
11:10 AM: I am at the raid site at Huron and Bancroft (a lane leading into the GSU/Bancroft building). Major operation underway—no one coming out yet but there’s a police bus on hand for loading. ES
11:03 AM: Councillor Adam Vaughan (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina) commenting on yesterday’s violence on CBC Radio: “it was beyond sad, it was beyond anger, it was something many of us have never seen before.” HD
10:56 AM: On Queen Street today, tense police officers and lots of clean-up:
Photo by Michael Chrisman/Torontoist.
Photographer Michael Chrisman reports that he was stopped while biking down Queen multiple times: twice to have his identification checked, and once to have his bag searched. “Attitude out here sucks,” he summarizes. HD
10:45 AM: First protest of the day: solidarity march from Jimmie Simpson Park to the Eastern Avenue detention centre. People gathering at the park now. HD
10:35 AM: Officers’ moods are much worse out here today. Presenting press credentials (upon request) still gets you told: no photos. MC
10:33 AM: Regarding the police action at UofT, the CBC further says that fifty people were arrested. HD
10:27 AM: Protests beget signs, and signs beget stories: Stephen Michalowicz reports on one of our favourite finds. HD
10:16 AM: Breaking news out of the actual summit: the Canadian Press via the Globe and Mail is reporting that Canada has successfully convinced other countries not to mandate a bank tax and instead let individual nations decide how to “make sure that taxpayers are not stuck with the bill when banks fail.” HD
10:07 AM: Reports of a police raid on the University of Toronto campus, near the forestry building, on CBC radio. HD
9:38 AM: Proceeding normally today: World Cup (Germany plays England this morning) the Toronto Jazz Festival, farmers’ markets. All excellent ways to spend your time if protesting and summitteering aren’t your thing. HD
9:26 AM: GO has announced that full service will resume at 10 a.m. HD
8:57 AM: After receiving an influx of images—from our staff photographers and from our readers—we have learned that the G20 summit protests have their very own version of Waldo. Or Matt. Behold Everything Is Okay Dude, as captured by four different photographers:
Everything Is Okay Dude at: College and University (Nancy Paiva/Torontoist); Queen and John (Christopher Drost/Torontoist); Queen and University (Remi Carreiro/Torontoist); and Queen and Simcoe (Martin Reis).
We do not know if Everything Is Okay Dude is expected to take part in today’s events. We will keep our eyes peeled. HD
8:50 AM: Total arrests thus far: 412, according to the Globe, including two journalists with the National Post and one with the Guardian. At least some are expected in court today. HD
8:38 AM: Clean-up is underway this morning on Queen street. City maintenance staff swept up broken glass and other refuse overnight, and some operations have already begun replacing windows and cleaning up graffiti. HD
8:26 AM: Our photographers have been out all weekend documenting events as they unfold. Here is a tiny sampling of yesterday’s images:
The full gallery of photos from Saturday is right here. HD
8:18 AM: The TTC has just announced that full regular Sunday service, including subways and surface routes, will resume at 9 a.m. (Translation: the TTC has likely been told that huge protests aren’t expected today.) HD
8:03 AM: Good morning everyone. Right now, the streets are quiet in an early morning lull. If you are travelling today be advised that GO is still suspended, and will remain so until further notice. TTC service south of the Bloor-Danforth line (both subway and surface vehicles in the downtown core) remains suspended until at least 9 a.m., at which point authorities will make a decision about when to resume full operations. HD
REPORTING BY: Christopher Bird (CB), Remi Carreiro (RC), Michael Chrisman (MC), Hamutal Dotan (HD), Christopher Drost (CD), Nick Kozak NK), Steve Kupferman (SK), Andrew Louis (AL), Deborah Mensah-Bonsu (DMB), Stephen Michalowicz (SM), Nancy Paiva (NP), Emily Shepard (ES), Suzannah Showler (SS), David Topping (DT), and Ryan Walker (RW).
