Special Powers for the Police at the G20

[GostHacked]

I'd like to bring this up again because I believe it is very important and needs to be made note of.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/06/25/g20-new-powers.html

Police forces in charge of security at the G20 summit in Toronto have been granted special powers for the duration of the summit.

The new powers took effect Monday and apply along the border of the G20 security fence that encircles a portion of the downtown core. This area — the so-called red zone — includes the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, where delegates will meet. The new regulations effectively expand the jurisdiction of the existing Public Works Act to apply to high-security areas of the summit site.

Under the new regulations, anyone who comes within five metres of the security area is obliged to give police their name and state the purpose of their visit on request. Anyone who fails to provide identification or explain why they are near the security zone can be searched and arrested.

The new powers are designed specifically for the G20, CBC's Colin Butler reported Friday.

Ontario's cabinet quietly passed the new rules on June 2 without legislature debate.

We have seen cases of arrests and corralled protesters that were no where near this security fence. We've seen cases where people at a designated protest zone (like a free speech zone ??!??!??!?!?) at Queens Park that were arrested under these special powers.

Now we find out that there were no special powers granted to police, hence all the arrests under this non-existent legislation were 100% illegal. I know some of you would rather beat more protesters heads in, but step back a moment and try to understand this.

People were arrested under legislation that never existed in the first place.

http://www.globaltoronto.com/world/Police+given+special+powers+during+province/3216475/story.html

TORONTO - With mounting calls for an independent review of police actions during the weekend G20 summit in Toronto, the Ontario government said Tuesday that police were never granted widely reported special powers to detain and arrest people who came within five metres of the G20 security fence.

-----

"The Ontario government did not pass a secret law that gave police additional power to arrest people during the G20 summit in Toronto," said Laura Blondeau, a spokeswoman for Community Safety Minister Rick Bartolucci.

"What the Ontario government did do, in the same way we process all regulations, is to create a regulation to ensure all areas within the security perimeter, were equally considered public lands under the Public Works Protection Act."

She said police made no arrests under the act.

So what act are they arresting people under then?

http://news.globaltv.com/world/Police+given+special+powers+during+province/3215526/story.html

The Public Works Protection Act dates back to 1939 and is applied every day in courthouses and other designated public areas.

Blondeau said the five-metre distance mentioned in the regulation applied to a "strip inside the fence."

The province's attempt to clarify the change to the little-known Public Works Protection Act comes five days after Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair said there was a five-metre zone around the security barrier where police could ask people to produce identification, explain why they were there, and allow officers to search their bags. The new measure was widely reported in the media but the police force and provincial government made little effort correct the record.

Tuesday, Blair said he was originally under the impression that the five-metre rule applied to an area outside the perimeter but once he was told otherwise, a directive was issued to officers "on the appropriate application of that regulation."

Asked if failing to clarify the five-metre rule misled the public, he said: "No, I never spoke publicly again about that regulation."

The top cop failed to warn you that the regulation was interpreted wrong. Really?

http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/06/29/police-given-no-special-powers-during-g20-province/

So, it looks like there was a law but it was for INSIDE the security fence, and not outside. So anyone coming near the fence on the outside were detained and arrested without justification. I'll say it's downright illegal.

Now it is mentioned that it was a Public Safety act that granted thse poweres, but they were interpreted incorrectly. How the hell can you miss interpret the law? To me they clearly laid it out for us what the law/regulation is.

It is mentioned that no one was arrested under this law/regulation. Then what law/regulation were they arrested under?

IF I am wrong here in my thinking please set me straight.

[bloodyminded]

I'd like to bring this up again because I believe it is very important and needs to be made note of.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/06/25/g20-new-powers.html

We have seen cases of arrests and corralled protesters that were no where near this security fence. We've seen cases where people at a designated protest zone (like a free speech zone ??!??!??!?!?) at Queens Park that were arrested under these special powers.

Now we find out that there were no special powers granted to police, hence all the arrests under this non-existent legislation were 100% illegal. I know some of you would rather beat more protesters heads in, but step back a moment and try to understand this.

People were arrested under legislation that never existed in the first place.

http://www.globaltoronto.com/world/Police+given+special+powers+during+province/3216475/story.html

So what act are they arresting people under then?

http://news.globaltv.com/world/Police+given+special+powers+during+province/3215526/story.html

The top cop failed to warn you that the regulation was interpreted wrong. Really?

http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/06/29/police-given-no-special-powers-during-g20-province/

So, it looks like there was a law but it was for INSIDE the security fence, and not outside. So anyone coming near the fence on the outside were detained and arrested without justification. I'll say it's downright illegal.

Now it is mentioned that it was a Public Safety act that granted thse poweres, but they were interpreted incorrectly. How the hell can you miss interpret the law? To me they clearly laid it out for us what the law/regulation is.

It is mentioned that no one was arrested under this law/regulation. Then what law/regulation were they arrested under?

IF I am wrong here in my thinking please set me straight.

I'd be interested too to know if I'm missing a pertinent bit of information or analysis here. If not, it's a little disturbing that so many people seem utterly sanguine and relaxed about the police breaking the law at will.

[GostHacked]

I'd be interested too to know if I'm missing a pertinent bit of information or analysis here. If not, it's a little disturbing that so many people seem utterly sanguine and relaxed about the police breaking the law at will.

Yes, we've seen some posters here encouraging the police to beat more heads in. The police are to serve and protect the public. At least that is what it used to be. Some would love more laws in place to kill all protesting in general. Yes I am very confused about this whole fiasco. The more I am confused the more I believe that the public has been mislead on purpose.

I know this thread will fall on deaf ears, which I expect. People are all for these laws until they get swept up in them.

[bloodyminded]

Yes, we've seen some posters here encouraging the police to beat more heads in.

The scientific term for these people is "reactionary blowhards."

The police are to serve and protect the public. At least that is what it used to be.

They have no other purpose. Further, the onus is not on us to explain why abuses of power are wrong; the onus is on the powerful--the authorities--to justify it.

If you cannot justify your use of power--specifically, not just in general terms--then that use of power is illegitimate.

[GostHacked]

The scientific term for these people is "reactionary blowhards."

They have no other purpose. Further, the onus is not on us to explain why abuses of power are wrong; the onus is on the powerful--the authorities--to justify it.

If you cannot justify your use of power--specifically, not just in general terms--then that use of power is illegitimate.

Well hopefully others will chime in here and tell me where I am wrong. Once people recover from their Canada Day hangovers .

[M.Dancer]

Well hopefully others will chime in here and tell me where I am wrong. Once people recover from their Canada Day hangovers .

Okay..the vast majority of those arrested were done so by invoking "disturbing the peace" . The fence is a red herring and has no bearing on the powers used to arrest anyone.

[GostHacked]

Okay..the vast majority of those arrested were done so by invoking "disturbing the peace"

Arresting people in a 'protest zone' or 'free zpeech zone' ?? People have the right to lawful peacueful assembly.

The fence is a red herring and has no bearing on the powers used to arrest anyone.

So then why was it even portrayed that way?

[M.Dancer]

So then why was it even portrayed that way?

Because Blair, the C of P is an idiot.

[eyeball]

Because Blair, the C of P is an idiot.

Now that's what I call a real red herring.

[bloodyminded]

Mmmm. The police actions were wholly justified...and only fringe leftists like the Chief of Police who oversaw the actions is unaware of this.

An interesting hypothesis.

[Keepitsimple]

Just watching the demonstrators on TV, one could see that there were many, many instances where people could be arrested. Disorderly conduct, breach of the peace, and assualting an officer are some of the charges that spring to mind. Yelling, pushing, and spitting at officers are not actions that the majority of peaceful demonstrators wanted.

Edited July 2, 2010 by Keepitsimple

[GostHacked]

They wont get the thugs who trashed the cars, but beat people up in Queens park who are sitting on their asses on the ground.

If I am beating a dead horse, someone please tell me.

[TheLastCanadian]

While the absolute childishness, really, that G20's protesters have acted with, I'm ashamed. Before I continue, take note: Many of them do deserve their arrests.

But this frankly terrifies me. We have a right to protest this without anywhere near the opposition we have been given. That it is behind closed doors alone is unacceptable, this is policy that guides the future of our country! G20 and G8 are just ceremonies by which Canadian sovereignty is whored off to the highest bidder. Our country is being subjugated, and at the same time, those benefiting from it are doing everything they can to use the law against their own people.

This isn't too far from turning it into a police state.

That's the scariest thing about rights. They don't exist.

They're a convenience accorded to us so long as the government is willing to tolerate them. All you need is a ratification or two, perhaps the invocation of the war measures act, and the people can be crushed under the weight of the state for decades.

Edited July 4, 2010 by TheLastCanadian

[msdogfood]

I'd like to bring this up again because I believe it is very important and needs to be made note of.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/06/25/g20-new-powers.html

We have seen cases of arrests and corralled protesters that were no where near this security fence. We've seen cases where people at a designated protest zone (like a free speech zone ??!??!??!?!?) at Queens Park that were arrested under these special powers.

Now we find out that there were no special powers granted to police, hence all the arrests under this non-existent legislation were 100% illegal. I know some of you would rather beat more protesters heads in, but step back a moment and try to understand this.

People were arrested under legislation that never existed in the first place.

http://www.globaltoronto.com/world/Police+given+special+powers+during+province/3216475/story.html

So what act are they arresting people under then?

http://news.globaltv.com/world/Police+given+special+powers+during+province/3215526/story.html

The top cop failed to warn you that the regulation was interpreted wrong. Really?

http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/06/29/police-given-no-special-powers-during-g20-province/

So, it looks like there was a law but it was for INSIDE the security fence, and not outside. So anyone coming near the fence on the outside were detained and arrested without justification. I'll say it's downright illegal.

Now it is mentioned that it was a Public Safety act that granted thse poweres, but they were interpreted incorrectly. How the hell can you miss interpret the law? To me they clearly laid it out for us what the law/regulation is.

It is mentioned that no one was arrested under this law/regulation. Then what law/regulation were they arrested under?

IF I am wrong here in my thinking please set me straight.

Thank- for pointing this out!!!.

[GostHacked]

Thank- for pointing this out!!!.

No problem. This is something that is really bothering me and many seem apathetic towards having their rights eroded away bit by bit, until it happens to them.

TheLastCanadian

But this frankly terrifies me. We have a right to protest this without anywhere near the opposition we have been given. That it is behind closed doors alone is unacceptable, this is policy that guides the future of our country! G20 and G8 are just ceremonies by which Canadian sovereignty is whored off to the highest bidder. Our country is being subjugated, and at the same time, those benefiting from it are doing everything they can to use the law against their own people.

We do have the right to protest, we do have the right to be heard. We do have the right to assemble. If you look at the history of the G8 and G20 meetings in other countries, they seem way more pissed about this than we are. But yet, we can't make our voices heard. These are meetings to take these countries in a direction where the citizens have no say and no control. Yes, essentially giving our sovereignty away. This is happening in all countries belonging to the G8 and G20.

Peoples rights were violated with a law that never existed in the first place. I am not surprised this thread has not gotten more posts/replies, does this show how apathetic people are? To me this is a huge deal and just the tip of the iceberg. It's been happening all over but we see it now because it happened in Canada.

[eyeball]

All you need is a ratification or two, perhaps the invocation of the war measures act, and the people can be crushed under the weight of the state for decades.

But first you must galvanize and outrage them with events like the G 8/20 summits. Pump the fear hype the loathing, glorify the "thin" blue line along with our armed forces and voila.

I still think the greatest thing working in the government's favor however is the opposition's fear of being seen as soft on all the things the government want's to be hard on.

We are so screwed.

Edited July 5, 2010 by eyeball

[GostHacked]

But first you must galvanize and outrage them with events like the G 8/20 summits. Pump the fear hype the loathing, glorify the "thin" blue line along with our armed forces and voila.

I still think the greatest thing working in the government's favor however is the opposition's fear of being seen as soft on all the things the government want's to be hard on.

We are so screwed.

Still looks like the rest of MLW is complacent when it comes to rights being violated. I mean we pick on other countries for rights violations, but we rarely say anything when it's against us here in our own country.

[Born Free]

Still looks like the rest of MLW is complacent when it comes to rights being violated. I mean we pick on other countries for rights violations, but we rarely say anything when it's against us here in our own country.

If you wanna show up at a protest rally that has a historical reputaion of provoking violence, looting, property destruction, etc... ya better be prepared for the consequences of that decision. Shit happens...the cops are not the bad guys here.

[GostHacked]

If you wanna show up at a protest rally that has a historical reputaion of provoking violence, looting, property destruction, etc... ya better be prepared for the consequences of that decision. Shit happens...the cops are not the bad guys here.

Read the OP once more to understand what I am talking about.

[bush_cheney2004]

Still looks like the rest of MLW is complacent when it comes to rights being violated. I mean we pick on other countries for rights violations, but we rarely say anything when it's against us here in our own country.

Oh no!!! Canada has become a POLICE STATE...freedom has been sacrificed for security...and the Queen is in on it!

[dre]

These rights were violated as part of a pro business agenda, so I imagine it will all kinda get glossed over and swept under the rug.

[GostHacked]

These rights were violated as part of a pro business agenda, so I imagine it will all kinda get glossed over and swept under the rug.

Already has. It's obvious only a few people actually care.

[M.Dancer]

These rights were violated as part of a pro business agenda, so I imagine it will all kinda get glossed over and swept under the rug.

It's all right here

[dre]

It's all right here

Ummmm... thats an article about your hat.

[M.Dancer]

Ummmm... thats an article about your hat.

Correct. It prevents the wearer from taking assinine comments like yours seriously.