Get a Protest Permit for You and Your 24 Friends?

October 21, 2011,

If you're planning a protest rally with a bunch of your friends, Many Toronto Parks can make for a fun and memorable base. But you better wait before you start sending invitations through the twittersphere. Did you know that for groups of 25 or more, you need to get a permit from the Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division to use a city park? There is a daytime fee ($82.90 for the 2011 season) and there may be restrictions on barbecuing in certain parks. Permits are given out on a first-come, first-served basis and they are good from 10 am to 8:30 pm on the day noted. You may not get your first choice, but there are a lot of parks in Toronto to enjoy. If you'd like to inquire about booking a spot for your protest, call the parks permit office at 416-392-8188 before 4 pm, Monday to Friday.

                                             -30-

Letter - WWJD? Join hands with the Occupiers,

By Warren Kinsella ,QMI Agency

Monday, October 17, 2011

Warren's blasphemous attempt at achieving his 15 minutes of fame has fallen short. It is accepted that Jesus led each of us, as individuals, to reach out and help the poor but there is no evidence that he would ever have joined a mob that would reject our values of working hard to create a good life, unlike the occupiers.

If the occupiers would instead choose to stop spewing hatred and envy, reject charismatic yet deluded facilitators, serve others instead of demanding more for themselves and respect Canada for the many advantages they enjoy, then perhaps they wouldn't be on the tour bus operators list of things to see.


                                                                     -30-

Letter: Pampered Protesters

Pampered protesters,

by: Joe Warmington, Toronto Sun,

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

It certainly is not fair that non-violent, albeit leaderless Occupiers; who present themselves with little more than disdain for corporate greed and political indifference, get to do what 99% of us can not do! Could this be another Caledonia in the making?

It's already been reported that intimidation within has folks in the crowd concerned about violent confrontation should they be ordered to change course! What will happen if a former G20 leader emerges and prepares to sabotage the ‘occupation movement of the people’ by imposing their will and forcing a showdown with Police?

Governing statute notes that while the board may give the chief of police orders and directions, the Toronto Police Services Board is ultimately responsible for the health and safety of all staff. In the case of G20, so far there has been precious little evidence of meaningful orders and directions and even less regard for the health and safety of staff. Should a violent confrontation result, will the re-elected head of the police services board, Alok Mukherjee insist that the new board neglect it's health and safety duty again, like the Miller-led board did with G20 when 93 of our combined forces were injured?

As the G20 riot unfolded, Toronto residents watched helplessly at thugs throwing rocks and other projectiles, smashing their bats and hammers, beating innocent bystanders and setting fire to taxpayer property! Even though Mayor Ford has since rid the board of some dead wood, we need to hear the new board's plan for dealing with violent confrontation against their staff, lest it be accused of ignoring history and repeating the same mistakes!

-30-

Letters: Diverse frustrations preoccupy Toronto protesters,

Inside view: Diverse frustrations preoccupy Toronto protesters,

by: Niamh Scallan, Toronto Star, Staff Reporter,

Monday, October 17, 2011,

While it maybe a low blow when one demonstrator called the movement a “war on apathy”; considering that McGuinty's Liberals only needed 18% of the eligible vote to claim victory, does it really surprise anyone that OccupyTO presents itself as more than disdain for corporate greed and political indifference by a few ready to sabotage the ‘movement of the people’ as 45 Police lay injured in 3 other cities?  

But if marching down Bay Street every morning to interrupt business folk on their way to work is the plan, then it will prove that the 'hot-heads' are really the organizers and forcing a showdown with Police is their goal.

So regardless of budget cuts or new hires, should we see riots in the streets again, will the re-elected head of the police services board, Alok Mukherjee insist on military security so the new board won’t neglect it's health and safety duty, like the Miller-led board did with G20 when 93 of our combined forces were injured?

Governing statute notes that while the board may give the chief of police orders and directions, the Toronto Police Services Board is ultimately responsible for the health and safety of all staff. In the case of G20, so far there has been precious little evidence of meaningful orders and directions and even less regard for the health and safety of staff.

As the G20 riot unfolded, Toronto residents watched helplessly as thugs on TV were throwing rocks and other projectiles, smashing their bats and hammers and burning taxpayer property! Even though Mayor Ford has since rid the board of some dead wood, we need to hear the new board's plan for the future, lest it be accused of ignoring the warning and repeating the same mistakes!

                                                                     -30-

Letter to the Editor, Toronto Star, October 16, 2011,

Occupy Toronto protesters settle in at St. James Park,

by: Josh Tapper, Toronto Star, Staff Reporter,

Saturday, October 15, 2011,

“It's going to be civilized,” says Toronto Const. Johnny Moutar. “Everyone has a right to protest. I don't have a problem with it.” “I don’t think anything’s going to happen at all, Toronto police are very nice,” says occupier, Nico Salassidis. “No one's breaking windows,” says Toronto Sgt. Steve Lorriman, comparing Occupy Toronto to the 2010 G20 protests in Toronto but with 31 Police already injured in London and another 26 in Rome with 3 injured in New York City, is it only a matter of time until Occupy Central Command executes a day (or week or month) of violence in Toronto?

Predictably encouraged on opening day by the usual suspects who brought us the G20 riots, it will be up to saner heads on the Occupy Toronto committee to identify thugs and hooligans for the Police and to distance themselves from those inside and outside the Occupy movement who would harm the cause or the message, and the moment will be lost!

Letter to the Editor - NY Times October 16, 2011

Buoyed by Wall St. Protests, Rallies Sweep the Globe,

By CARA BUCKLEY and RACHEL DONADIO, NY Times,

October 16, 2011

Three police injured already at the scene of the crime; trying to maintain peace in front of the occupiers only makes the Customs and Border Protection's attempt to impose  'fencing and other barriers to movement' along the 5,000 mile northern frontier; from Maine to the Pacific Ocean all the more ludicrous.

Advocates such as Arizona State Senator Stephen Smith has sought to justify the $49 million expenditure by creating a website, Build the Border Fence, inviting citizens to donate to the cause of building 'tactical security infrastructure' at strategic points.

So, as the Wall Street occupation; with no end in sight turns more violent, doesn't it seem unfair to prevent Americans from escaping to more peaceful grounds?

-30-

G20 memories loom on eve of Occupy Toronto protests,

Response to an article by: Brendan Kennedy Staff Reporter, Toronto Star,

Thursday, October 13, 2011,


If this occupation turns violent, will Torontonians mimic the fine work done by Vancouverites who took more than one million photos and 1,000 hours of video of their Stanley Cup rioters? Thankfully, Police were able to regain control of both riots before someone was seriously injured or killed but it was a disgusting scene that unfolded for all to see in Vancouver, and for Toronto, too. But what made Vancouver's Stanley Cup riot unique was citizen response! Did West Coast social media evolve to create community in response to Toronto's G20 riot? Regardless, the future is here!

While civil libertarians may wail, 'there’s nothing illegal about being in the streets', it's just not the same when you are trying to set a Police cruiser on fire! Seeing what Vancouver witnessed, should it really surprise when it reminds taxpayers of 'alleged' peaceful G20 protesters with various weapons our combined Police forces confiscated.

G20 violence left riot organizers with a black eye as taxpayers clamored to make themselves heard; to provide a visible reminder to hooligans that they will be held accountable for their actions after a post-riot Angus Reid poll told us that 3 of 4 Torontonians and 2 of 3 Canadians believed police treatment of protesters during the summit was justified. The Stanley Cup riots touched a raw nerve in Vancouver, too when 19 of every 20 residents wanted the troublemakers prosecuted to the full extent of the law, according to another poll by Angus Reid.
For Vancouver Police; armed with this volume of information, it is clear that social media; including Twitter and Facebook have been instrumental in identifying many rioters with pages such as Facebook riot pics having posted photos of people smashing windows, tipping over urinals and brawling with police. Photographs and video footage have been posted by the public, ranging from senior citizens to high school students leaving messages on these pages; some by the perpetrators themselves. While there may be some who think an oppressive Big Brother eye is watching us, the fact remains that social media users give out the minutiae of their lives for free on Twitter and Facebook.

Is the trend of people on Twitter and Facebook calling on the public to identify criminals in the Vancouver riot simply an attempt by the community of West Coast social media enthusiasts to embrace a new role in citizen journalism, with the explicit intention of identifying people to create a sense of public safety? Some Vancouver rioters are receiving punishment far worse than anything the courts might dole out for their crimes. Outed by their own postings, their friends and even their parents, some of the young men involved in Vancouver’s Stanley Cup riot found it necessary to turn themselves in to police.

Given how social media is integrated into people's lives, many of the individuals identified during the Vancouver riots will not have the option of simply erasing their Facebook and Twitter accounts in order to avoid public disclosure. These tools are so much a part of daily life now that some can no longer separate their private lives from their public lives online. Increasingly, for the younger generation, not having a life online is akin to not having a social life. Over the last decade, notions of privacy have been eroded through social media, and the Vancouver riots show the effects of living in a social media world.

Will Torontonians mimic Vancouverites with large volume image taking of a gang of hooligans using social media should Occupy Toronto turn violent, the likes of which invaded sleepy Toronto during G20?


 
                                                                         -30-