Even though the G20 summit was in downtown Toronto, the corner of Queen and Spadina would have seemed to be a safe place from riots and police action. The riots stayed away from this busy intersection, but the police boxing in the crowd, where most if not all were innocent victims, made for a lasting, negative impression.
The pictures (left and below) are of the Queen/Spadina intersection that I took when I traveled to Toronto in September. The intersection is large and full of automobiles, pedestrians, and streetcars. Now imagine the intersection filled with people boxed in by the police, and then a huge rainstorm takes over.
Here are a few highlights/lowlights, courtesy of the Globe and Mail. One of its reporters, who wasn't trying to be covering anything, got caught up in the mess and tweeted updates via Twitter.
The article from Lisan Jutras attracted a lot of attention to the incident, sparking wonder as to why people were caught up in this horrible element so far away from the actual G20 protest areas.
When I was in Windsor on the first weekend in November, I saw this follow-up article from the Globe and Mail with first-person accounts of those inside the crowd.
For those who haven't been to Toronto, or the intersection of Queen Street West and Spadina Avenue, take a look:
more below the fold
Comments