The #G20, the City Council, Their Creepy Window Fetish, and their Ignorance of Toronto

Today, on the same day that this letter surfaced, the Toronto City Council voted 36-0 to commend the Toronto Police Service and Chief Bill Blair on their "outstanding" work at the G20. Councilors Perks, Davis, Mihevc, Di Giorgio, Vaughan, McConnell, Fletcher, Bussin & Giambrone skipped the vote. It may be hoped that some of them did not think "outstanding" was the appropriate term. Councilors McConnell, Vaughan and DiGiorgio said that they abstained because they are a part of the revue of events at the Toronto Police Services Board and felt it would be inappropriate to participate in the debate.

The debate featured some of the most rediculous statements I've heard yet including Mayoral candidate Rob Ford's statement "I don't think there should be an inquiry or review...I think our police force was too nice" and councilor Nunziata comparing Saturday's events (broken windows and burned cars) to World War II (and it's 60 million dead.) There were a few statements from councilors that questioned parts of Sunday's crackdown, but these councilors ultimately put their rubber stamp next to "outstanding" and so, in my opinion, do not deserve to be re-elected.

It is also worth noting that some of the strongest statements came from councilors representing Etobicoke and Scarborough who talked about watching it on TV - not councilors from downtown where things actually happened. (Further evidence that the amalgamation of Toronto was a bad idea that still isn't working.)

Councilors seemed to be under the impression that they had to either support the police or the black bloc - when the correct answer is that neither is worthy of support. It really makes me wonder how well they know Toronto at all. If they knew this city they would know how well George Bush's 'you're either with us, or you're with the terrorists' approach went over in this city (not at all if you're not from Toronto.)

None of the people I've talked to yet who are protesting what the police did support the black bloc. Instead they feel like this city was attacked twice - once by the black bloc and once by the police who failed to stop the black bloc. It's not an either or issue.

Regardless of what the vandals did, no one was seriously hurt. The same cannot be said of the police.

Are the councilors aware of the reports of a 57 year old amputee having his artificial leg confiscated before he was assaulted and thrown in a cage? Do they know about the deaf man who was arrested for not following verbal instructions from police? Are they aware that police told protesters that this isn't Canada, you have no rights here before performing an illegal search. Are they aware of the complaints filed by G20 journalists who were beaten, threatened and arrested? Are they aware that the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and Amnesty International are calling for a full, independent federal inquiry based on the mistreatment of protesters and prisoners? Are they aware that, despite the largest mass arrests in Canadian history that very few serious charges have been laid and it appears that the police caught very few (possibly none) of the black block protesters?

If they aren't aware why not? If they are aware how can they possibly use the word "outstanding" to describe anything that happened and how can they possibly pretend to represent Torontonians if they are really, as they claim, "proud" of what happened?

The good news is that an election is coming in October, the bad news is that for the moment we have a City Council and a Mayor that represent the police and not the people of Toronto, a City Council and a Mayor who are more angry about broken windows than broken people. The Toronto they live in is not the Toronto I live in.

You can send hate mail to your councilor here.