The Toronto Police Department is scheduled to release a list today of ten people most wanted in connection with violence at the G20 Summit. We’ve obtained an advanced copy, so here are the top five:
1. Stephen Harper: Wanted for scheduling his photo-op in a city that didn’t want it and where he knew there would be trouble. He knew that he could use that trouble as an excuse to bring on violent police repression which would show the world and his opponents that he could and would do anything he wants, minority government and individual rights not withstanding. Yeah, Harper’s a bully, but he’s also an extravagant one who spent more than a billion taxpayer dollars on this disaster.
2. The Conservative Party of Canada: Wanted for trying to filibuster a federal inquiry into police actions and tactics during the G20. Good thing the opposition parties still want to make this an issue, even withstanding accusations by the Tories that they’re somehow in cahoots with anarchist window smashers by wanting answers on why over 1000 people, mostly peaceful protesters and a few random Torontonians, were arrested for no reason whatsoever and in some cases threatened and beaten. Honestly, do the Conservatives really think people are that stupid?
3. The Toronto Police: For allowing/causing (through agent provocateurs) the damage to their own cars and windows and then using this damage as an excuse to illegally round up just about anyone they could, beat journalists, threaten rape and all-around turn the city they are supposed to protect into a police state.
4. Most mainstream media and several politicians: Wanted for propagating the myth that all that happened in Toronto was a bunch of anarchists breaking and burning stuff and doing nothing about the detainees. Jean Charest, for example, didn’t do anything and a good number of those arrested were from Quebec. Thankfully Amir Khadir of Quebec Solidaire did speak up and even posted bail, which got activist Jaggi Singh released.
5. The Toronto Police Bureaucracy: Wanted for continuing to go on the offensive against some protesters, who they didn’t want to stop when they were committing the acts that they are now wanted for and downplaying the public outcry over their own tactics.
Well, if the last point didn’t make it clear, the wanted list above, while conforming with reality, isn’t the one the Toronto cops announced today. If they don’t want to take the criticism of their actions seriously, it’s up to everyone else to do so.
That said, if you were at the G20 protest and have a complaint about how you were treated by the police or about police actions during the G20 in general, you have until Friday, July 16th to file it with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
