A Few Thoughts...

A Few Thoughts...
Below are some thoughts about the OIPRD report. They're disjointed. Some are as they came up, some are things that pop into my head as I'm writing other things. I'll note pages when I can. I did not read the report front to back so I may have missed some things.

I'm not sure if it's my reading of it, or the way the OIPRD hedges things, or what, but they mention protesters IN the interdiction zone. They show the interdiction zone to be the fence. As far as I can tell, this did not happen (page 3). They did mention the interdiction zone and the outer zone together, which, if this is what they meant (being in the outer zone), well, that's just bad investigation reporting.

I don't recall if any charges stuck from Queen's Park or not. If any resist arrest, failure to comply, or various other charges, they should be immediately vacated and any and all information expunged from court system AND Toronto Police. At this point, any resist arrest charge pretty much stands as self-defense.

The report mentions “hundreds” inconvenienced. That's pretty low considering there were over 1000 arrests. (page 9)

The repot mentions time and time again that officers were following orders. Those orders were illegal as you've stated. Any Officer who said they were following orders should be reprimanded. Following orders hasn't flown as a valid excuse in a LONG time.

Early on the report mentions developing a guideline for Breach of the Peace in regards to how long to wait after declaring the assembly unlawful (and communicating EFFECTIVELY such). Later you mention it has to be 30 or more minutes (as per legislation). Why not say that in the first place.

Clearing Toronto Police arrest records shouldn't even be up for discussion. Anyone who was arrested and NOT charged, anyone who was arrested/charged and the charges subsequently withdrawn, should have ALL records expunged. No questions asked, and no procedure to complete on behalf of the wrongly arrested.

A human chain is NOT a 'violent' tactic. Throwing rocks...THAT's a violent tactic.

MySpace? People still use that?

Page 15 mentions previous riots at Queens Park. It doesn't mention the outcome of the investigation into those events. Would it surprise ANYONE that police didn't keep good notes, and did not effectively communicate dispersal orders, and therefore, charges were vacated. Some of the same problems as now...

Here's something I said at the time: I bet they declared ANY group an unlawful assembly and ONLY communicated that to officers. Well..they did.

Page 78. “It wasn't an option for us to question the MICC” page 79. Uh, Officer, if you can't question your orders, you can leave you badge and gun on the desk. It's your duty to question orders. You should ALWAYS ask yourself if this is legal, and if you feel it isn't, or is CLOSE to being illegal, ask for clarification. If it's STILL illegal in your mind, FULL STOP.

“It's like walking into Court or the ACC, you have to show your bag” (Page 88). Dear god, if our officers can't tell the difference between a Provincially (or Federally) protected building, and a PRIVATE building...you need to get out of the force. YOU represent the Government, as such, you HAVE to follow the Charter. The ACC is a PRIVATE building/enterprise and, as such, can do WHATEVER THE FUCK THEY WANT. (within reason).

Crowd described as “curious and passive”. By all means, beat them then, that'll piss them off and give you the violence you want. Actually, no, wait. The correct thing would have been to turn around and leave.

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We see this with almost every Summit, and usually along the same time line. People will 'predict' what WILL happen. They are ridiculed and told it'll never happen...and it does. Then, we get ridiculed for calling the cops on their behaviour, predict AGAIN what will happen and get ridiculed further. Then we're proven right some 18 – 24 months down the line. Wash, rinse, repeat. It almost gets frustrating to see the same thing play out time and time again. I have a suggestion to ANY area holding a Summit. READ. READ A LOT. Read every single after-action report. Read every single inquiry report. Read every single report that has come out in the last 10 years. You'll soon see the pattern. Identify the pattern and you can fix the problem.

And hey, if you DO fuck up. Apologize. It's not hard. And in the long run, it'll save you a lot of grief.