International Law

G20 Security: What Side of the Fence Are You On?

For G20 summit delegations, Toronto, thankfully, remains a safe haven.

Outside the security perimeter, however, for the downtown business operators, peaceful demonstrators, residents and passers-by who have the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time...

Not so much.

That this was all so predictable and avoidable...

Well, I'll leave that discussion to another day.

As CBC News is now reporting, many of the damaged and vandalized Toronto small businesses will be denied insurance coverage for their losses. The clamour for government compensation has already begun.

Needless to say, the wrongfully and needlessly-arrested will be left holding the bag for the costs of defending themselves in the courts.

On that note, TVO's Steve Paiken has emerged as the go-to journalist for live, on-the-street coverage. Last night he wrote:

i saw police brutality tonight. it was unnecessary. they asked me to leave the site or they would arrest me. i told them i was dong my job...

i have lived in toronto for 32 years. have never seen a day like this. shame on the vandals.... and shame on those that ordered peaceful protesters attacked and arrested. that is not consistent with democracy in toronto, G20 or no G20

Mr. Paiken's Twitter stream is here.

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Full post as published by Wise Law Blog on June 27, 2010 (boomark / email).