Charas-Project

Off-Topic => All of all! => Topic started by: Zerlina on June 27, 2010, 04:55:05 PM

Title: Toronto Protest
Post by: Zerlina on June 27, 2010, 04:55:05 PM
So there was a violent protest in my city- two police cars were set on fire, policemen were bombarded with golf balls and rocks, store windows were smashed and some were apparently set on fire. The biggest mall in the province was put on lockdown and then evacuated, several hospitals also went on lockdown. (I think this is the only thing like this that has ever happened here- we're normally a really peaceful city). The police have arrested over 400 people, and people have argued that they shouldn't have been arrested. Others are really angry because they've taken attention away from the majority of protesters who were peaceful.

Watching the footage and seeing the people who have been out on the street all night really makes it evident how angry people are.

I'm just curious as to what everyone's thoughts are on a situation like this- what extent should police and protesters have? The cause of public anger, etc


News Story:
http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-ca&from=customplayer_en-ca_news&fg=ca.msn.com&vid=cbcc2010-2606-2343-0033-153127885400

A Blog:
http://thestar.blogs.com/g20/
Title: Re: Toronto Protest
Post by: A Forgotten Legend on June 27, 2010, 05:31:00 PM
I would somehow find I way to go on vacation during that kind of thing. o.O
Title: Re: Toronto Protest
Post by: X_marks_the_ed on June 27, 2010, 06:47:22 PM
I don't know much about it, just going by the video, but if cars and people are being lit on fire, the authorities should have the right to kick some ***.
Title: Re: Toronto Protest
Post by: Prpl_Mage on June 27, 2010, 08:09:53 PM
Yeah we have this all the time. They calm down after a while. Too much police effort will make the next time worse.
Title: Re: Toronto Protest
Post by: Archem on June 27, 2010, 08:11:07 PM
Ed seems to have the right idea. What are they protesting, by the way?
Title: Re: Toronto Protest
Post by: Grandy on June 27, 2010, 08:39:42 PM
Police should just make a perimeter and warn 'you advance, you get arrested, stay over there and you can protest all you want'. They did this once where I live, it worked. I remember one time where the police actually went out and protected the protesters who were in the middle of the street from angry drivers.
Title: Re: Toronto Protest
Post by: supasora on June 27, 2010, 08:49:40 PM
Ed seems to have the right idea. What are they protesting, by the way?
something about the prime minister suspending parliament
Title: Re: Toronto Protest
Post by: Zerlina on June 27, 2010, 09:33:17 PM
No that was ages ago. There's lots of protests about different things, but mostly peaceful. The group that is setting things on fire claim to be anarchists, so I guess they're protesting the existence of mass government? They arrested people this morning and most seemed to be francophones which might indicate they were from out of the province. They ditched their clothes and weapons in bushes on a university campus, and then decided to stay in the residence, so the cops found them pretty easily.
Title: Re: Toronto Protest
Post by: Prpl_Mage on June 28, 2010, 12:01:17 AM
Anarchists?

Good luck with that.
Title: Re: Toronto Protest
Post by: Grandy on June 28, 2010, 12:11:57 AM
They ditched their clothes and weapons in bushes on a university campus, and then decided to stay in the residence, so the cops found them pretty easily.

 I choose to read that as in they walked around the capus naked in order not to get attention.
Title: Re: Toronto Protest
Post by: zuhane on June 28, 2010, 09:22:51 AM
I almost thought this was football-related... I was gonna say!
Title: Re: Toronto Protest
Post by: Cerebus on June 28, 2010, 10:30:53 AM
They arrested people this morning and most seemed to be francophones

And by francophones, I suppose you mean quebecers, eh? If that's the case, then I'll hate my nation even more.

About polices and all, well, I agree with
if cars and people are being lit on fire, the authorities should have the right to kick some ***.

Too bad for those who weren't being stupid, but it's hard to tell who's peaceful or not when you're in a croud of people throwing stones, setting things on fire and all. And to be fair, I'm pretty sure some of them "peaceful" guys actually took the opportunity to break a few things.

Still pretty sad to see peaceful protests being all f*cked up because of a few stupid people. Especially if most of them are from Québec...
Title: Re: Toronto Protest
Post by: Daetyrnis on June 28, 2010, 05:50:02 PM
They were protesting the G20 Summit.  Toronto was the host city this time, and a great deal of money was spent on it.  A LOT of people were really pissed off about the G20 itself, as well as how Toronto dealt with hosting it.  Most of the protesters were peaceful though.

I live in a suburb near Toronto and commute there frequently, I was there Friday night and the next morning, actually.  My brother lives right on the Queen / Spadina intersection, which was where cops kept a bunch of people penned in, later arresting people and such.  I also know some people who were part of the (peaceful) protesting.  I haven't been following the news with much vigilance, but I do have a lot of first-hand and second-hand reports.

I think the police handled it very well.  It seems like they chose to use sheer numbers to keep things under control as opposed to weaponry.  The media has been blowing stuff WAY out of proportion (as usual).  Protests always attract violent mob idiots, but they are the minority.
Title: Re: Toronto Protest
Post by: Zerlina on June 30, 2010, 09:33:39 PM
Most important issue being protested- closing of the Eaton Centre (really big mall):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXIE2uOdnkQ
Title: Re: Toronto Protest
Post by: X_marks_the_ed on June 30, 2010, 11:11:01 PM
"Why do you exclude the population?"



You mean you and that kid molesting the glass?
Title: Re: Toronto Protest
Post by: Prpl_Mage on July 01, 2010, 12:15:01 AM
"I throw rock at police and put this car on fire! Now the world will understand and agree to my thoughts"
Title: Re: Toronto Protest
Post by: Cerebus on July 01, 2010, 12:40:05 AM
"I yell at the glass. Now the world will understand and agree to my thoughts. Is that a spectacle to you?"
Title: Re: Toronto Protest
Post by: Djanki on July 01, 2010, 05:11:02 PM
Something similar happened in Puerto Rico yesterday: a senator kicked the press out of a political meeting (he claimed that the press was intruding) a few days ago, so some college students--who just got out of a three-month-long strike that froze the entire University of PR system--got together and manifested in front of the Capitol Building. The same senator reacted by calling in the riot squad and caning everyone up.

Grey and Grey Morality at work, folks!