G20?

[nibbler]

Aww shucks- I love you too AD.

[nibbler]

nibbler, I am still waiting for an apology for your absurd statement that "y'all seem to like death and violence and shit".

Groupthink is contagious.

Edited July 6, 2010 by Guest

[ollie]

nibbler' date=' I am still waiting for an apology for your absurd statement that "y'all seem to like death and violence and shit".

[/quote']

Groupthink is contagious.

How do you know you haven't caught it?

[nibbler]

Just waiting for the results from the blood test...

[phishtaper]

where's Birdy. I wonder what she thinks of all of this.

[SaggyBalls]

She's probably off doing something productive and relevant to her life and her community.

[Thorgnor]

or waiting for me to say something stupid.

[SaggyBalls]

then where's she been for the past long while?

[Thorgnor]

there's that generous spirit again

[Kanada Kev]

Ugh ... i can't believe I listened to the whole two hours while working. This is a recording of the a special meeting of the Public Safety and National Security Committee.

Two whole hours, for eight members to discuss and come to a decision on whether there should be a motion to get a parliamentary study on issues arising from the G8 and G20 summits.

And did they get anything accomplished? Nope. This sounds no different that the GOP tactics used stateside. Cockblocking and filibustering bs:

http://parlvuvod.parl.gc.ca/StreamLogger/2010/2010-07/0001ab74.wmv

[AD]

NiRjwpCrCMc

[Birdy]

Here's what i think:

In these more productive days, i'm becoming an anarchist. Where's Thorgnor?

We're all thugs, we expect value without contributing value, we design systems of governance to support our claims, and we cry out when there's an abuse of power. Well guess what? This so-called retreat to a police state, the untold truth behind media, the silent protests and the outright terrorist attacks are a society sick and tired of itself.

We're not to blame, every man is no more than a product of his times. But if you want to think it through for yourself, you might come up to the same conclusion as I, that the only path to anything in this world is to lead your individual self to it. The more time we spend expecting value without contributing value, the more the world arounds us goes to shit.

Missed you guys!

[SaggyBalls]

It sure took you long enough to post on this thread.

[Thorgnor]

But she's right.

Edited September 23, 2010 by Guest
except I might say that we are enjoying ourselves to death

[phishtaper]

well, she sure as hell ain't left.

[Birdy]

2BLpEXzAAyo

[Kanada Kev]

G20 Toronto cop who was afraid of girl blowing soap bubbles sues YouTube for "ridicule"

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/10/17/g20-toronto-cop-who.html

Godott sez, "A Toronto police officer whose thuggish behaviour against a young girl blowing bubbles (reported here on Boing Boing) made him an inadvertent YouTube sensation and a symbol of police heavy-handedness at the G20 protests has launched a $1.2-million defamation lawsuit against YouTube."

The target of Constable Josephs's lawsuit isn't the original video, but a series of cartoons posted on YouTube over the following weeks that depict a policeman resembling the officer engaging in various acts of police abuse of power.

In his statement of claim, Constable Josephs alleges the cartoons have subjected him to ridicule, and have resulted in threats against himself and his family. He also seeks to compel YouTube to reveal the identities of the person who created and posted the cartoon - identified by the moniker "ThePMOCanada" - and the identities of several people who posted comments in response...

The animations in question depict a policeman identified as "A. Josephs" arresting various people - including Barack Obama and Santa Claus - and beating up a news photographer while funk music plays in the background.

Edited October 18, 2010 by Guest

[Kanada Kev]

[Kanada Kev]

Great coverage from The Fifth Estate that was broadcast last Friday. You can watch the full episode online here:

http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/2010-2011/youshouldhavestayedathome/index.html

G20: The Untold Stories

They were the most unlikely of troublemakers. There were thousands of ordinary citizens on the streets at Toronto G20 Summit marching peacefully until the police closed in and shut them down. Many had gone downtown simply to see what was going on, only to find themselves forcibly dragged away by police and locked up for hours in a makeshift detention center without timely access to lawyers or medical treatment.

G20 in :30 Second video submission from Martin Reis: "British comedian Charlie Veitch, who was arrested twice during the G20, tells it like it is outside Police HQ on College Street."

It's been eight months since the G20 and the iconic images are still with us — burning police cars, rampaging mobs, the massive security presence that according to the official story is all that stood between Canada's largest city and chaos. But that’s not the whole story of Toronto’s G20. Astonishing new images caught on camera are now emerging and they expose a troubling new picture of what happened to hundreds of ordinary citizens caught in the huge police dragnet during those three highly-charged days last June.

Gillian Findlay presents a revealing new street-level perspective of what happened when thousands of police were deployed in downtown Toronto and instructed to do what was necessary to ensure the wall around the G20 Conference Centre was never breached. Exclusive eyewitness video obtained by the fifth estate brings to light startling images captured on cellphones and minicams by the innocent bystanders who found themselves on the wrong side of all that G20 "order." In a rare television interview, Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair explains why police took the actions they did.

On this edition of the fifth estate: the summit from the street, and the people who never dreamed it could happen to them. The stories you'll hear will raise questions about what protest means in this country and what the limits to dissent have become.

[Schwa.]

Great vid. thanks for posting, kev.

[Esau.]

Was about to post just that. It ran again late last night on CBC news-world. Interesting piece, good to hear from some of the folks detained instead of hearing a newspapers interpretation of their statements.

[Freak By Night]

Watching that episode of "The Fifth Estate" the other night certainly helped foment my deep-seated disdain of authority.

[Schwa.]

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

~George Santayana

[Freak By Night]

What do you guys think - was this a situation of the cops being assholes, or did the order come down from the top (Harper) to round up the peaceful protesters so they'd think twice about protesting again? Or a combination of both?

A few things that struck me as very odd about the whole thing:

- they had all of those temporary holding cells ready to go. They must have expected to fill them.

- the cops removed their name badges

- they closed in on the demonstrators, telling them to go home, without giving them a pathway out of the area

[Esau.]

What do you guys think - was this a situation of the cops being assholes, or did the order come down from the top (Harper) to round up the peaceful protesters so they'd think twice about protesting again? Or a combination of both?

A few things that struck me as very odd about the whole thing:

- they had all of those temporary holding cells ready to go. They must have expected to fill them.

- the cops removed their name badges

- they closed in on the demonstrators, telling them to go home, without giving them a pathway out of the area

I'd say a combination of both. I would say Harper knew about the setting up of cells and obvious overkill of security. Although maybe (big maybe) just never really realized the full extent of it all. I doubt he checked things out first hand.

I think the cops went overboard on their own and that by the time Harper knew things were out of control on the cops side he didn't want to appear things were out of HIS control, so instead he sat quietly and let it all happen, to try and save face in light of all the visiting dignitaries.

The other points I would rest solely on the cops. Removing badge numbers, names and the whole "corralling" people in, telling them to go one way then preventing them from doing so. I mean, it seemed as though there was no definitive chain of command and in situations like that all you have are two sides of unorganized groups squaring off - only one side was armed and much much more threatening. I couldn't say if Harper gave the order and sent them in like that, but, I imagine he was fully aware of most of it while it was happening. Which goes back to my thought of him trying to save face.

There was definitely a breakdown of communication between both sides in my opinion. I blame that on Harper. I don't believe he had Canada and it's people in mind at all, just his own pride.

In my opinion, that whole shitstorm should be the eye opener Canadians need to see Harper just isn't right for the job and hopefully we do or will come election time.