Toronto: Taking back our city and our people post #G20

Earlier I wrote about the possibility of a G20 party the response has been good, there are a bunch of people who think it's a good idea and want to become involved on some level.

What we are still missing is someone with experience in organizing large events (and I mean large) the "guests of honor" alone could number more than 1,000 people.

The idea for the party is a starting point for healing Toronto by reclaiming our city and our people. It would be free of politics in the traditional sense - no marching, no signs, no chanting, maybe one short speech but nothing that would agitate, no call to arms or to activism.

It would honor those who were arrested, detained or abused for taking a stand for civil liberties (even if that's not what they intended to do when they left the house) and let them know that whatever the police, the politicians or McLean's might say that the people of Toronto stand with them, that we know that the vast majority of them did nothing wrong and that they are a valuable part of our communities.

It would also be a symbolic reclamation of our city; A statement that Toronto does, in fact, belong to it's citizens and not Stephen Harper, the G20 or the police (who are public servants - not our rulers) and that the people of Toronto will never again allow an event like this to take place - we will never again allow an army of security to run roughshod over the civilian population.

Although it is not political it does not mean that we've forgotten anything that happened. It will have no impact on any grievances, complaints, inquiries, or proceedings but for one night (or afternoon as the case may be) we'll lay aside the anger and the slogans and take back the city that was stolen from us and give a group hug to our citizens who were abused and caged for exercising their basic rights as Canadians.

We will not forget what happened but we also will not let it change our city, our culture or our people for the worse.

The organizing group for this is currently open to the public on Facebook. After a time it will be restricted so that organizers can focus and new people will be admitted individually.

The group is at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=140629692615645 if you are interested, please join.