Skip to content

ACTION ALERT: Support Facebook page calling for G20 policing inquiry

A ‘Canadians Demanding A Public Inquiry into Toronto G20’ Facebook page has been initiated and has more than 23,300 supporters already.

That page states, “A public inquiry is an official review, ordered by government, of important public events or issues. Its purpose is to establish the facts and causes of an event or issue, and then to make recommendations to the government. All levels of government (federal, provincial, and territorial) have the power to call public inquiries. Several issues have been raised this weekend: Consultation with the City of Toronto and it’s citizens, Security build up, the Fence, the treatment of Toronto’s homeless, mass damage, no relief fund for shop owners, innocent people and journalists detained, detainee conditions and much more.”

You are encouraged to support this initiative by going to http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=135629036463012&v=wall&ref=ts.

THE COUNCIL OF CANADIANS
On June 28, we issued our call for a public inquiry into the appropriateness of police actions both prior to and during the summits. That media release is at http://canadians.org/media/other/2010/28-Jun-10-a.html.

THE CANADIAN CIVIL LIBERTIES ASSOCIATION
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has released a preliminary report that says “police conduct during the G20 summit was at times disproportionate, arbitrary and excessive,” and that a full public inquiry is needed. The preliminary report can be read at http://ccla.org/2010/06/29/ccla-releases-a-preliminary-report-of-observations-during-the-g20-summit/.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Amnesty International Canada has also demanded the provincial or federal government hold an inquiry,saying that “protesters were faced with high fences, new weaponry, massive surveillance, and the intimidating impact of the overwhelming police presence.” More on that at http://www.amnesty.ca/resource_centre/news/view.php?load=arcview&article=5453&c=Resource+Centre+News.

THE TORONTO STAR
The Toronto Star editorial board has written that, “Lest locking down streets and mass arrests become the new norm for protests in our city, questions about the policing tactics used on the G20 weekend should be addressed in a systematic fashion through a public inquiry.”

THE NDP
The Toronto Star reports that, “NDP Leader Jack Layton on Tuesday called for the Commons public safety committee to be ‘seized with this matter and require an accountability report on both the spending side and on the operations side’ of the billion-dollar-plus meeting of world leaders. Liberal and Bloc Québécois MPs on the committee told the Star’s Richard J. Brennan they support the call, making hearings likely.” Some comments from the NDP on the aftermath of the summits can be read at http://www.ndp.ca/press/summits-came-high-price-but-delivered-little.