More signs of the summit popping up

First, the fence went up around the Metro Convention Centre. Then some lanes were partially closed for traffic at downtown streets. Now, Toronto police officers are swarming all over the downtown core.
 
There were officers at every intersection in the area around the Metro Convention Centre. Two officers were chatting with each other at Front and York Sts. while a lone cop was checking his BlackBerry at University and Wellington Sts. Just west of that, near the CBC building, three cops stood around a car parked on the street. At John and Wellington Sts., an officer was walking out of a Starbucks. A few metres west, two cops were quietly watching as a group of guests were unloading their bags from a cab right outside Soho hotel.
 
The G20 is eight days away but in many ways, it's already here.

- Raveena Aulakh

Police union calls for Sid Ryan to resign over “inflammatory” agent provocateurs comment

Labour leader Sid Ryan at a press conference Wednesday, where he raised concerns that police may plant agent provocateurs among the G20 protesters to incite violence. Photo: Steve Russell

The Toronto Police union is calling for Sid Ryan to resign after the Ontario Federation of Labour president suggested police may plant agent provocateurs among the G20 protesters to incite violence.

“It’s totally irresponsible, inflammatory and idiotic thing to say for someone in his position. Nothing could be further from the truth,” said Mike McCormack, president of the Toronto Police Association.

“It’s a total insult to police everywhere.”

At a press conference for the “People First!” rally on Wednesday, Ryan said he had concern the police would use the disguised agents to cause chaos in order to provoke a violent response from security forces.

“They've done it before,” Ryan asserted. “I'm concerned about that as a tactic to justify police presence and justify the spending of $1.3 billion on security.”

McCormack dismissed the comment as “cheap publicity” at expense of Toronto police’s reputation.

“At the very least, Sid Ryan should apologize to our membership,” he said. “We’re not going to stand by and let him make these irresponsible comments.”

Meanwhile, in an announcement Wednesday, the Council of Canadians called on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to give his assurance that no agent provocateurs will be used during the G8 or G20 protests.

“I’m deeply concerned that neither you, nor anyone in the government, nor the Integrated Security Unit itself, have ruled out the use of agent provocateurs at the upcoming G8 and G20 summits,” says Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow in a letter to Harper.

“Three undercover police officers attempted to incite violence in 2007 at the Montebello protest against the Security and Prosperity Partnership. The proof of their actions was caught on film,” Barlow wrote. “The Sûreté du Québec was forced to admit that they were police officers, dressed in black and holding rocks. Yet, to date no one has been held accountable and through his silence, Harper appears to have given tacit approval of the use of agents provocateurs.”

U.S. issues G20 travel alert for Toronto

Washington has issued a travel alert for Americans who live in Toronto or plan to visit the city during the G20 summit.

“Previous G20 summits have drawn large numbers of protesters and activists, and a number of groups have announced plans to demonstrate throughout downtown Toronto,” the U.S. State Department warned in its alert. “Even demonstrations that are meant to be peaceful can become violent and unpredictable. You should avoid them if at all possible.”

The alert also advises U.S. citizens forego travelling in or through downtown Toronto during the summit, anticipating “significant traffic disruption.”

The leaders of the world's G20 countries will descend on Toronto for the June 26-27 summit and security is tight.

Protests and rallies are expected to begin the week leading up to the summit.

On June 26, thousands are expected to turn out the People First! march, but organizers have vowed that the event will be a peaceful, family affair. However, protest organizers have confirmed that numerous activists and labour union members plan to splinter from the larger demonstration and continue a “militant” march to the security perimeter.

Washington says the travel alert expires June 28.

Canada is now on a rather exclusive list of travel alerts, which only includes six countries and regions. Among them is Jamaica, where the capital city has become the battlefield between government forces and gangs, who are protecting a fugitive drug lord from being extradited on U.S. drug- and arms-trafficking charges.

Also on the list is South Africa during the World Cup, where the State Department warns U.S. citizens could be exposed to terrorism, crime and public health risks.

Alerts are based on short-term conditions that could be dangerous to U.S. citizens, such natural disasters, election-related violence or high-profile events expected to draw massive crowds.

Surprise: More fences!

Contractors set up security fencing around stones near Lake Shore Blvd. Photos: Steve Russell

It beats super-gluing every stone to the ground. Summit security are having fences erected around Lake Shore Blvd. to enclose the piles of landscaping stones so the rocks can't be picked up during protests and used as projectiles -- you know, like a sapling can be.

 

Another one bites the dust

The G20 has claimed another.

This time, it's the home of more than 3,000 historic ceramics.

The Gardiner Museum, located at Bloor St. and Avenue Rd. on the University of Toronto campus, will be closed from June 25-27. The closure shouldn't come as much of a surprise as almost the entire downtown U of T campus is shutting down for safety reasons.

Harper's Day Parade

Onlookers hanging around Union Station today will spot a papier-mâché Stephen Harper handing out fistfuls of billion dollar bills.

The tongue-and-cheek parade, organized by non-profit umbrella group At the Table Coalition as part of the Global Day of Action, will include a procession of bankers and a Human Oil Slick — the so-called “fossil fools” — who will dance around the issues and give away fake bills.

“This government must stop putting $2 billion per year towards subsidizing the oil and gas industry, and invest much more in the clean energy economy,” said Graham Saul, Executive Director of Climate Action Network Canada, in a press release. “Canada must also step up and put at least $1 billion over the next three years towards supporting poorer countries as they cope with climate change.”