[andyt]

$1:

TORONTO - Police violated civil rights, detained people illegally, and used excessive force during the G20 summit two years ago, a new report concludes.
The report by Ontario's independent police watchdog also blasts the temporary detention centre that Toronto police set up for its poor planning, design and operation that saw people detained illegally.
The Office of the Independent Police Review Director found police breached several constitutional rights during the tumultuous event, in which more than 1,100 people were arrested, most to be released without charge.
"Some police officers ignored basic rights citizens have under the Charter and overstepped their authority when they stopped and searched people arbitrarily and without legal justification," the report states.
The 300-page report, which provides a detailed look at the events that weekend, finds that protesters were not the only ones who resorted to violence.
"Numerous police officers used excessive force when arresting individuals and seemed to send a message that violence would be met with violence," the report states.
"The reaction created a cycle of escalating responses from both sides."
The report takes aim at police tactics at the provincial legislature, which had been set up in advance as a protest zone. It says the force used for crowd control and in making arrests was "in some cases excessive."
"It is fair to say the level of force used in controlling the crowds and making arrests at Queen's Park was higher than anything the general public had witnessed before in Toronto."
It also concludes mass arrests outside a downtown hotel were "unlawful," and a dawn raid and arrest of people at a university residence was done without the required warrants.
The office, under director Gerry McNeilly, slams police for "kettling" scores of people — many passersby — at a downtown intersection for several hours in a severe thunderstorm, calling it "unreasonable, unnecessary and unlawful."
Even officers in place thought the situation untenable, with one describing the incident commander as "maniacal," the report says.
"Where are they going to give them a chance to disperse?" one officer asked.
"They aren't, that's the problem," another replied.
"Well, that's stupid."
In regard to the temporary detention centre, the report criticizes senior officers for failing to take adequate steps to address problems.
Among complaints were overcrowding, lack of food and water or access to lawyers, the use of flex cuffs and strip searches. Detainees had to use toilets in full view of others and many were held illegally.
Because of shoddy paperwork, it is impossible to state accurately the number of people who were arrested over the course of the summit weekend, the report says.
The report makes 42 recommendations.
Among them, it urges changes to the Police Services Act and police code of conduct to oblige officers to disclose potential evidence of misconduct.
"Senior officers especially should not condone or distance themselves from the misconduct of subordinates or colleagues."
It also urges governments to provide enough time for planning and preparing large-scale security operations, both of which were sorely lacking in this case given the "wholly inadequate" four months police had to plan.
"Although insufficient time was certainly a factor, the operational planning committee should be faulted for the decision that it would be 'business as usual'."
In all, the report slams Toronto police, who had the lead in keeping order outside the summit security zone and were responsible for the detention centre, for poor planning and serious gaps in communications.
The incident command centre, set up for overall police control, had "no idea" how many officers were working.
Police often failed to give crowds proper directions to disperse, leading to confrontations and increased tensions.
It also faults the incident commander for referring to the crowds at one point as "marauding terrorists," creating the impression that criminals were on the loose.
The findings follow on the heels of a similar report this week by the RCMP complaints commissioner.
That report found the Mounties had by and large acted reasonably but faulted poor co-ordination among police.
The June 2010 summit was marred by vandals who smashed windows and set police cruisers on fire as well as by mass arrests, including of innocent bystanders.
The function of the Office of the Independent Police Review Director — an arms-length civilian agency — is to process and oversee the investigation of public complaints against police or, in some cases, investigate a public complaint itself.
McNeilly said he decided it was in the public interest to combine a total of 356 complaints related to the G20 and do a systemic review of municipal, regional and Ontario Provincial Police involvement.
Numerous individuals and groups, including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, have lambasted police for riding roughshod over people's rights.
Several civil suits alleging police brutality and violations of rights have also been launched against Toronto police and other agencies involved in the summit.
Earlier this year, McNeilly recommended charges against five police officers for the beating of G20 protester Adam Nobody at the legislature.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/report-g20-pol ... 07874.html

[OnTheIce]

I don't give a rats ass of some cop gave a guy a couple extra whacks after he threw a bottle at his face.

I'd love to see these losers (protesters) take endless amounts of verbal and physical abuse and react with a smile and be courteous.

[martin14]

Gee, if the police did such a bad job, maybe next time they should just stay home.

Watch how that works out.

[andyt]

I'd love to see those five officers go to trial.

[DrCaleb]

Only two of those 'arrested' were cops? I would have thought they'd have more in the crowds.

[andyt]

Huh?

[andyt]

martin14 martin14:

Gee, if the police did such a bad job, maybe next time they should just stay home.

Watch how that works out.

Those are the only two options, huh? Sad state of affairs.

[DrCaleb]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

Only two of those 'arrested' were cops? I would have thought they'd have more in the crowds.

andyt andyt:

Huh?

http://www.news1130.com/news/national/a ... e-watchdog

[andyt]

Ah. Those were just the Mounties. They have been exonerated - for once the Horsemen aren't the bad guys.

[OnTheIce]

andyt andyt:

I'd love to see those five officers go to trial.

And I'd like you to stop being a douche, but we can't get everything we want in life.

[bootlegga]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

I don't give a rats ass of some cop gave a guy a couple extra whacks after he threw a bottle at his face.

I'd love to see these losers (protesters) take endless amounts of verbal and physical abuse and react with a smile and be courteous.

I care - and while protesters can be, and in some cases are, jackasses, that does NOT give police the right to do some of the things McNeilly noted in his reports.

Cops, like other public guardians, are held to a higher standard than everyone else, including dirtbags and protestors. That comes with the badge and gun.

I don't for a second condone the Black Bloc or anyone else who used violence, but raids on campuses without warrants, mass arrests on the street and arbitrarily detaining people for hours, including passersby, outside in a severe thunderstorm are simply unacceptable unless we're in a martial law situation IMHO.

We don't accept when Syria or Iran or China (or other humans rights violators) does that kind of stuff - why should we accept it here in Canada?

[andyt]

bootlegga bootlegga:

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

I don't give a rats ass of some cop gave a guy a couple extra whacks after he threw a bottle at his face.

I'd love to see these losers (protesters) take endless amounts of verbal and physical abuse and react with a smile and be courteous.

I care - and while protesters can be, and in some cases are, jackasses, that does NOT give police the right to do some of the things McNeilly noted in his reports.

Cops, like other public guardians, are held to a higher standard than everyone else, including dirtbags and protestors. That comes with the badge and gun.

I don't for a second condone the Black Bloc or anyone else who used violence, but raids on campuses without warrants, mass arrests on the street and arbitrarily detaining people for hours, including passersby, outside in a severe thunderstorm are simply unacceptable unless we're in a martial law situation IMHO.

We don't accept when Syria or Iran or China (or other humans rights violators) does that kind of stuff - why should we accept it here in Canada?

Geez, by OTI's standards you must be a real douche.

[BeaverFever]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

I don't give a rats ass of some cop gave a guy a couple extra whacks after he threw a bottle at his face.

I'd love to see these losers (protesters) take endless amounts of verbal and physical abuse and react with a smile and be courteous.

As usual, the law-and-order crowd completely ignores the concept that perfectly innocent people were also victims of overzealous police here and unfortunately received your prescribed treatment.

Plus as stated, police officers are held to a standard of professionalism and are not allowed to arbritrarily recsind anyone's constitutional rights, not even someone they *think* has comitted an offence.

[martin14]

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

perfectly innocent people

Ya..


I was in Montreal in '93, when the Habs won the Cup.
After leaving the Forum, you could smell what was going to happen farther downtown.

Did I join, just to have a look, as an 'innocent' ?
Did I bring my camera, just because I wanted to take a photo, not to burn anything ?
Did I go to scream and shout, but not destroy anything, so I'm not doing anything
wrong just by being there ?

No, I'm not that stupid. I went to my local and kept on celebrating.



If you can see a riot around you, and don't get the hell out of the area,
you are participating.... and not innocent.

[andyt]

Yep. You go on a peaceful protest, you're guilty just for being there.