[Nettime-bold] 016 Trrronto: nightmare on elm street?

["Lachlan Brown" <lachlan@london.com>]

fwd from Luther Blisset

>The police presence is almost overwhelming. I personally have seen nothing like it
here and neither have Torontonians. "I guess this is what a coup d'etat looks like" says one.

Yesterday  'war measures' legislation redefining 'terrorist activity' and giving police 
remarkable powers of arrest on suspicion, detention and surveillance was introduced in 
Canada by Justice Minister Anne McLellan. The aims are to 'deter, disable and dismantle' 
terrorist activity in Canada. This legislation impacts civil rights of all Canadians in very
disturbing ways.

Today a range of organisations are involved in protests focussed on shutting down the 
Economic activity of the downtown core in Toronto. Witness, impression, news as it
Happens at http://ontario.indymedia.org/     

The Premier of the Province of Ontario Mike Harris has announced his intention to 
resign.

It is going to be an interesting day.


Some immediate impressions:


9:32am - from Blue


the protestors at front and york were attempting to surround the royal york thru a backstreet called 
piper and were attacked by plain clothes cops and agent p's there are two groups, the larger one was 
on front street and a smaller group on wellington and york where they are blocked by riot cops. the 
riot cops pushed the people out from behind the royal york and other activists were yelling on 
megaphones about
abandoning their position. most of the crowd then moved up university. a mail box has been thrown 
into the street on york to block a bus from passing. the people that were blocking the bus were 
wearing black hockey helmets had shields and garbage bags as rain gear. (yeah black block, 
YOU GO GUYS*and gals*) anyway we've also got more info on the guy who was beaten into 
the ground. it appears he had been on the rear side of the police line and had tried to cross their 
picket squeezing past cops. they then pushed him to the ground and started beating him with his 
own placard.


                    University and Elm St. 10:10 
                    by some guy 
protesters and riot police clash 

   At about 10 this morning, protesters were walkin North on University, I was watching from 
one of the hospitals. Escorted by 2 cop cars, the protest was very peaceful, chanting signs the 
regular. A fight between plain clothes cops and protesters broke out towards the end of the 
group where it wasnt so dense. People began running back to help out but within seconds
cops in unmarked cars pulled up and started arresting. Riot police followed...like at least 
75 or them, it was ridiculous, looked like more cops than protestors. Saw a few people arrested...
but the protesters did not advance on  the police and instead tried to regroup. From where i was 
the protest was going fine, and peaceful. Really no need for 75 cops in full riot gear.


10:30 University / Queens Park - Marlborough

A Police Command Centre is at Simcoe North of Queen. 

                We walked up University from Queen St through three separate lines of police in full riot gear, slowly making their advance up University Avenue. Behind, near the US consulate more police in riot gear wait on buses. A small group of light blue clad 'special operations' (fully armed with automatic weapons) police. Overhead two helicopters and two light aircraft circle the downtown core. From Dundas Street north up University all you can see are Police. Beyond, at Queens Park, a further half dozen police vans with a further phalanx of 50+ police. 

"We've never seen Police like this" - an office worker. 

A small group of protestors moves west to east across University waving black flags. A line of riot police deploys across both sides of University Ave. Looking north and south from University and College all you can see are police. 

Marlborough (Duke of) 
'rapid movement with devastating concentration - never a siege lifted, never a battle lost'.

Lachlan Brown

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