G20 Comes To My ‘Hood (Pics)
NB: Click photos for close-ups.
The billion-dollar tentacles of the G2 summit reached into my east Toronto neighborhood today. Before I even got outside, rubber bullets were flying as protesters gathered where a makeshift prison was set up nearby. Apparently it held 500+ people arrested in relation to yesterday’s staged mayhem.
Protesters Gather Near The temporary G20 "prison" on Eastern Ave in TO
With a billion-dollar budget floating around, one can hardly blame Toronto Studios for capitalizing on this globalist capital event and renting out their parking lot for the temporary jail. Below is the entrance where crowds cheered each time a person was released.
Journalists flock to see "prisoners" as they are released from the temporary jail
Further up Pape Street, officers on bikes hung around waiting for their next orders. As I pedalled through them, taking pics and videos, I was barely noticed it seemed but I am sure my movements were being tracked and documented by various types of tech and plain-clothes types.
Everywhere you looked police outnumbered protesters 10-30x.
In reaction to yesterday’s “black bloc” tactics, this neighborhood bank branch boarded up its windows. Kinda reminded me of parts of Brooklyn in the mid 90s.
Normally a bustling bank, this branch is turned into a fortress.
A local show of support for the massive police presence aka “please don’t kick our asses!”
- My ‘hood hearts police — especially when they’re in riot gear and travel in groups of 50
Buses like this one carried dozens of heavily armed officers into the ‘hood. After their display of power and a waste of $1 billion of tax payer money, the “Now Hiring” artwork on the exiting buses just seemed cheeky in an admittedly humorous way to me.
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
Coming up: videos from the G2o In My Hood. They much better than these pics. — MG