Toronto Transformed Into Locked Down Police State Sweeping police powers with no limits, military
style checkpoints, LRAD sound cannons, huge makeshift
prisons and a taxpayer bill of $1 billion
Downtown Toronto has been transformed into a police state ahead
of the G8 and G20 conferences, with police given unprecedented
powers to to arrest anyone near the security zone who refuses
to identify themselves or agree to a police search.
“The regulation was made under Ontario’s Public
Works Protection Act and was not debated in the Legislature.
According to a provincial spokesperson, the cabinet action came
in response to an ‘extraordinary request’ by Toronto
Police Chief Bill Blair, who wanted additional policing powers
shortly after learning the G20 was coming to Toronto.”
The regulation gives the police authority to question anybody
entering the restricted zone from June 14 until June 28, the
day after the summits are scheduled to end. As Adam Radwanski
of The Globe and Mail reports, there are no
limits to police powers during the summit, and
no clear legal precedent specifying what they can and can’t
do.
CTV.ca
reports that there has been an increase in tension
in the security zone as police are stopping and searching hundreds
of protesters. "If you're in that zone you're going to
be challenged," Const. Tim Garland, spokesperson for the
Integrated Security Unit told CTV.ca.
Some
reports even detail incidents of police randomly
stopping people outside the security perimeters who are not
even protesters and are merely going about their business.
As our earlier
report detailed, Charlie Veitch of the popular
London based activist group The Love Police was arrested yesterday
in Toronto under the new extraordinary powers for refusing to
identify himself.
Police have been preparing for the lockdown for months now.
An unprecedented show of force will see up to 20,000 uniformed
officers, along with a 1,000 private security guards deployed,
as well as Canadian military forces. The security costs are
expected to cost the Canadian government (taxpayers) hundreds
of millions of dollars, with some estimating the bill will stretch
beyond one billion dollars.
Security measures include two large perimeters, walled in with
huge 3 meter high fences, with Toronto police in charge of the
outer zone and the RCMP in charge of the inner zone. Anyone
entering the inner perimeter, where the Metro Convention Centre
is located, will be processed through five levels of airport
style security screening.
Various checkpoints throughout Toronto have been outfitted
with "Magnetometers," "walk-through metal detectors,"
"X-Ray belt driven scanners" and "hand-held metal
detectors."
Residents and workers in the area have been made to register
with the authorities to get access to their homes and businesses
during the meeting.
The
Canadian Forces plans are described as "large-scale
operational planning, land and air surveillance, underwater
safety and security for the venues and some logistic and ceremonial
functions. Support also includes drawing on the CF’s ongoing
partnership in the North American Aerospace Defence Command
(NORAD)."
Protesters will also be subject to designated free speech zones.
If they breach these zones they will be forced to move or be
arrested.
Civil liberties advocates and activists had requested that
a court impose an injunction to prevent police from using the
ear-piercing devices, which were used by police and the National
Guard to break up protests at last year's meeting in Pittsburgh.
However, the Ontario Superior Court ruled that the devices
could be used after police argued they were essential equipment.
In related news, Infowars reporter Luke Rudkowski and fellow
activists have been denied access into Canada altogether.
In a telephone interview with Infowars.com, Luke said he was
detained for nearly five hours by Homeland Security and Canadian
Customs police on the border in Buffalo, New York. Agents went
through his car and laptop looking for anything to arrest and
detain the activists. After the Canadians denied Luke, Kelly,
and Matt entry into the country, Homeland Security on the American
side of the border questioned them once again.
Downtown Toronto has been transformed into a police state ahead
of the G8 and G20 conferences, with police given unprecedented
powers to to arrest anyone near the security zone who refuses
to identify themselves or agree to a police search.
