The Protest After the Protest

There a lot of unanswered qustions lingering from last weekend's G20 Meeting in Toronto and the (near) fatal beatings that were administered there, and since Dalton McGuinty's cool with everything, I guess others have decided to take up the charge. This shouldn't be surprising given the fact that Guelph activists were arrested last weekend, but Guelph will join Edmonton in staging protests over police action during the G20.

To all print & electronic media

What: Family Friendly Rally and Testimonial Reading
When: Monday July 5th at 6pm
Where: Guelph City Hall
Why: For Civil Liberties and Democratic Rights!

June 25th-27th, Toronto saw a meeting of the leaders of 20 major countries in Toronto. They met at a time when the economies they manage are in a deep crisis, inflicted by their own policies. Their aim at the G8 and G20 summits was to hash out a plan to transfer the costs of this global crisis onto working people, while ignoring the growing environmental crisis.

This past weekend Toronto saw one of the most terrifying shows of police repression in Canadian history. The volume of reports - of attacks on protesters not even engaged in property destruction, on demonstrators seated in the ‘designated protest zone’, on journalists and passers-by; of threats of physical and sexual violence; and of actual physical and sexual assaults – does not suggest that in a massive sea of riot police, several officers, under severe stress, made mistakes or off-colour remarks. It suggests that orders were given to disregard our civil liberties and democratic rights.

The City of Guelph's resources also had a hand in the shameful events that unfolded last weekend. Guelph Police sent 13 Guelph officers to the G8-G20 Summit Integrated Security Unit as well as a canine team. Ten of those officers were involved in front line police duties.

30,000 demonstrated in Toronto during the G8 and G20 summits, refusing to accept the attacks on working people around the world. What we saw in response was an attempt to criminalize dissent and protest. This cannot be allowed. We will be gathering at City Hall on Monday, July 5th to speak out against attempts to silence those that exercise their democratic rights and to demand an independent public inquiry into police actions and into who ordered these abuses take place.

*** if you or someone you know were a victim of police brutality or have a testimonial to read on behalf of yourself or someone else please email: demandg20inquiry@gmail.com

*** crisis counseling will be available at the rally

For more information email or to contact organizers please email: demandg20inquiry@gmail.com