Anti-poverty activist John Clarke, an organizer for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, takes part in the Toronto Community Mobilization Network press conference in Toronto on Thursday, May 20, 2010 which opposes the G8/G20.
The G20 summit is just over a month away, and the reality of the situation is beginning to make itself clear. For the past few weeks, much of the Toronto population has probably been hoping that preparations for the event were an exercise in over-reaction. But this week has been something of a revelation for many. The firebombing of an Ottawa bank on Tuesday morning - the work of a group of self-described anarchists who connected their terrorist act to the upcoming summit - has shown that the threat of violence and property destruction is real. It has been announced that the CN Tower will be closed, CCTV cameras are being installed in the downtown core, and Bay Street workers are being advised to dress casual so as not to raise the ire of anti-establishment protesters. Police have confirmed that the security fencing will likely go up around June 11, and mailboxes, bike parking rings and street furniture will be removed from the area around the Metro Convention Centre. Highway closures, TTC delays and general grid lock are inevitable.
At a press conference this morning, anti-poverty activist John Clarke said that shop owners are being asked to sign "trespass letters," which will allow police to remove people from private property. Groups who are planning to protest during the event say Toronto is being transformed into "a police state" while police defend their actions as the best way to protect the city and its guests. It's hard to say where sympathy lies these days and the main question most people seem to be asking themselves is: why on earth would any city invite this upon themselves?
[ Photo: Anti-poverty activist John Clarke, an organizer for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, takes part in the Toronto Community Mobilization Network press conference in Toronto on Thursday, May 20, 2010 which opposes the G8/G20. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press]