A Foreward by Doug Draper
When Niagara At Large posted stories this past summer on charges that riot police had over-reacted in their dealings with demonstrators during the G20 summit in Toronto, some readers responded by saying that the demonstrators deserved to be arrested simply for being there.
In other words, if you want to stay out of trouble in today’s Canada, don’t get involved. Forget about attending a rally on climate change, world hunger or fairer global trade agreements – especially if world leaders are in town. Just lock yourself up at home and watch ‘Dancing with the Stars’.
For those who still feel that way and for all of us, a “weekly essay” by CBC Radio’s Michael Enright, read by him this past Oct. 10 on his 9 a.m. to 12 noon program ‘Sunday Edition’ is must reading.
It should also be mandatory reading in schools in front of any discussion in our nation’s classrooms about what constitutes “legitimate protest and dissent” in a democracy and what constitutes “violence and conspiracy.”
If we can’t handle a rational discussion on that without spinning off the road, in to a partisan or ideological ditch, then perhaps this country is in a deep crisis around such fundamental concepts as democracy, the right to congregate and freedom of expression.
Enright’s Oct. 10 essay, entitled ‘Mass Arrests’, begins this way; “ Forty years ago this month, a British diplomat in Montreal was kidnapped by FLQ terrorists and the federal government triggered the War Measures Act, which saw troops on the streets of Ottawa and Montreal. It came to be called the October Crisis.
At the time, it was the largest mass arrest in the country’s history. But it was small potatoes compared to the arrests made in Toronto during the G20 summit in June. More than 1,100 people were arrested and hauled into a makeshift jail in the city’s east end. Among those arrested; reporters, tourists, a man carrying toy jousting sticks, a young girl carrying eye wash in her knapsack, newspaper photographers, the curious and the carefree.”
To read the whole essay click on http://www.cbc.ca/thesundayedition/2010/10/mass-arrests.html
(Visit Niagara At Large at http://www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary on matters of interest and concern to our greater binational Niagara region.)
Niagara At Large 
To be clear I do not condone the destruction of property to make a point. In fact no act of lawlessness should be tolerated. That said: The act of protesting is lawful and an inalienable right. Though I have doubt as to its effectiveness.
Sadly we live in Canada where having rights and exercising them is considered a “Bad” thing. It doesn’t matter who happens to occupy 24 Sussex drive. The sole role of Government is to grow no different than a cancer on the body politic. Rights are removed everyday through what appears as benign legislation, but rest assured rights are diminished.
I would point out that Chief William Blair was in charge of the security for the G20, he lied to the public about the 5 meter rule. In fact he has been caught in 3 lies surrounding the G20, If a person is caught in a lie do we consider this person to be reliable? No! of course not, we call them liars and we don’t trust them. Given this why should anyone trust Chief Blair?
This is the same fellow who is the president of the Canadian Association Chiefs of Police. He is already a proven liar, so why would we trust his word about the firearms registry? He has also broken a law as a public servant by becoming politically active on this issue and used Police resources to lobby against Bill C-391.
I support our men and women who have chosen to become Officers of the Peace, they do a great public service. I would urge them to read Sir Robert Peel’s principles on policing and take them to heart and always remember them, especially that they too are members of the public and must always be seen to be members of the public. What they were ordered to do at the G20 removed them from the public and made them mindless enforcement officers.
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