During the summit 2010 G20 Toronto summit protests

a rioter on top of toronto police service cruiser in flames

as g20 leaders arrived in toronto after g8 summit in huntsville, ontario wrapped up, large group comprising many 10,000 people protested downtown during afternoon of june 26. @ protest, jeff atkinson, spokesperson canadian labour congress, said, don t want g20 countries cut stimulus spending until jobs recover. greenpeace international director kumi naidoo reasoned if g20 governments spend billions of dollars rescue banks in trouble, why not find money unemployed workers environment , social causes. sid ryan of ontario federation of labour said in speech, wasn t workers of world caused financial crisis. don t want see transfer of wealth public sector private sector.

according eyewitness accounts, 200 marchers broke away protest route on queen street , headed south on bay street towards convention centre, through financial district. media describe break-off led black bloc, demonstrators covering bodies , faces in black clothes. individuals using same black bloc tactics have been suspected of being responsible confrontations in other international summit protests. protesters dispersed damage buildings , vehicles. intent interpreted media distract police forces security zone other protesters break in, police maintained blockades, protecting fence. vandals smashed windows of various office buildings , stores along yonge street, queen street west , college street using hammers, flag poles, umbrellas, chunks of pavement , mailboxes. conflicts erupted between purported anarchists , journalists recording property destruction. after few hours, many black bloc demonstrators changed civilian clothes , dissolved larger crowd security forces began increase in presence. police later maintained protest organizers complicit in providing cover vandals.

this starbucks branch 1 of many shops have damaged exteriors riots

the first property reportedly damaged nike clothes store. toronto police headquarters damaged. media vehicles of canadian broadcasting corporation , ctv television network damaged , 4 toronto police service cruisers smashed , set ablaze in various locations. american corporations, such starbucks, appeared targets of vandalism. other targets foot locker, sears, mcdonald s, tim hortons, urban outfitters, pizza pizza, subway, swiss chalet, , zanzibar tavern, local strip club owner had invited leaders try g-strings instead of g20 summit. american apparel store damaged; mannequins on display taken out , used further damage nearby stores. branches of scotiabank, canadian imperial bank of commerce (cibc), , td bank damaged. toronto police headquarters, toronto eaton centre, sheraton centre, delta chelsea , buildings in yonge-dundas square put in lockdown mode. hospitals along university avenue, includes mount sinai, toronto general, princess margaret, , hospital sick children, put lockdown mode police. toronto transit commission (ttc) bus , streetcar routes halted in downtown, subway service between bloor-yonge , st. george stations. go transit requested isu reroute trains away union station, , used danforth , exhibition stations termini westbound , eastbound trains respectively, free shuttle bus service made available passengers stations. ttc provided free shuttle bus services. escalating violence caused dutch violinist andré rieu cancel concert @ air canada centre @ last minute.

sound cannons not used during weekend, tear gas used first time in history of toronto, being deployed in few locations muzzle blasts. rubber bullets , pepper spray used against many protesters. @ end of day, toronto police service chief bill blair announced 130 people had been arrested. several media personnel, including canadian reporter guardian, ctv producer, , 2 photographers national post, arrested.

condemnations of violence made ontario premier dalton mcguinty , toronto mayor david miller. in press conference, miller said, torontonians should outraged. they’re criminals came toronto deliberately break law. not welcome in city. referring damage caused black bloc protesters downtown, claimed calling attackers protesters not fair people came [legally] protest, , in fact criminals. in statement, dimitri soudas, spokesperson prime minister stephen harper, proclaimed, free speech principle of our democracy, thugs prompted violence earlier today represent in no way, shape or form canadian way of life.

june 27: police brutality protests

people boxed in riot police @ queen , spadina

approximately 480 arrestees taken eastern avenue temporary holding centre during previous day s protests; police gave numbers ranging 32 130. while minor charges or dropped charges released, serious charges set appear in courthouse located on finch avenue , weston road in north york.

after closed services throughout night, following morning saw resumption of regular ttc , go transit services, while g20 leaders began formal discussions @ metro toronto convention centre. lockdowns @ university avenue hospitals , toronto eaton centre lifted. additional officers ontario provincial police deployed, doubling total number of officers 20,000.

four arrests made during twilight of june 27 after 2 security guards witnessed men emerging manhole on queen street west. manholes later welded shut.

about 100 additional arrests made during morning raid toronto police service @ university of toronto. arrested said in possession of black clothing , weapons of opportunity such bricks , sharpened stakes.

during mid-morning, protesters marched jimmie simpson park on queen street east front of eastern avenue temporary detention centre, jail solidarity bike rally , sit-in consisting of 150 people occurred during afternoon, demonstrators urging release of arrested previous day. following several arrests during rally, protesters began sit-in interrupted small muzzles of pepper spray , rubber bullets fired police. @ least 224 arrests occurred evening.

another large group assembled @ intersection of queen street west , spadina avenue, presumably conduct protest, surrounded heavily armed police forces. numerous bystanders , media personnel in crowd. several arrests made, including several members of media , ctv cameraman briefly held , released; police later claimed had found weapons @ scene, , suspected presence of more black bloc protesters within crowd. blockade caused traffic diversions , stoppage of streetcar service along spadina avenue. after several hours of detainment in record-breaking heavy rain, police released remainder of crowd during night.