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Newsstand: June 30, 2010
Illustration by Matt Daley/Torontoist.
Following the madness in the streets during the G20, many are calling for an inquiry into the weekend’s events. Human rights groups like Amnesty International, NDP Leader Jack Layton, Liberal and Bloc MPs, as well as members of the general public are looking for accountability and The House of Commons’ public safety committee hearings may be on the way. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association already released a report saying “police conduct during the G20 summit was at times disproportionate, arbitrary and excessive.” A Facebook group with more than twenty-two thousand members is also demanding a probe.
For his part, Police Chief Bill Blair has said an internal task force will look into “all aspects” of policing that went on during the G20. The review is meant to provide an “assessment of the strengths and weaknesses in the G20 plans, and their execution.” He also invited reporters to have a look at the weapons (some not actually weapons) that were seized from protesters and possible criminals over the weekend. This turned out to be misleading (shocker) as some of the weapons displayed were the crossbow and chainsaw seized during an earlier arrest not related to the summit. Not only that, but metal body armour and a bunch of arrows covered in sports socks, which police said could be made into flammable arrows, turned out to be the ingredients for a harmless geek’s fantasy jousting game.
And speaking of misleading, it also turns out that there was never a special rule allowing police to demand ID from anyone within a five-metre distance of the fence. On Tuesday, Dalton McGuinty’s administration said the rules only applied to areas inside the fence. And to boot, Toronto Police were made aware they had no such powers to arrest people on Friday and decided to keep up the farce for the public.
Taking a break from the G20 but sticking with troubled city services, a secret report has revealed fire department response issues. The report contains recommendations aimed at making the city safer, but officials are not letting anyone take a peek at the key points. With the help of freedom of information legislation, the Star got its hands on the report, which is partially blacked out and censored. The Star is taking the matter to the provincial Information and Privacy Commission.
And back to the G20. The first claims from businesses looking for compensation are beginning to trickle into Ottawa. The claims were submitted under the ex gratia payment program, which recompenses those who lost funds due to world leaders getting together. No word yet on if or how much the federal government is willing to pay out, but at least on this front Mayor Miller and the city are on the people’s side.
So what’s everyone doing for Canada Day?