NOW Toronto: Cannon fodder for G20

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Cannon fodder for G20
By Ellie Kirzner


As demonstrators make their plans for the G20 spectacle June 26 and 27, memories of police over-reactions past float in the ether. No question, there’s a history of unbelievably stupid cop crowd control efforts at these global happenings, but just where are we headed this month?

It’s comforting to look back at Chief Bill Blair’s inspired restraint with Tamil activists. Sometimes the best policing is just chillin’.

But the police acquisition of four Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRADs) doesn’t gladden the heart. At a presser last Friday, Superintendent Tom Russell explained, yet again, that the force plans to use the “device” as a “communication tool.” You know, like to talk. Then, without taking a breath, he finished his thought: “We may use the alert function. It get’s people’s attention.”

Oh, great. Piercing blasts that can reach up to 135 or 145 decibels, depending on the machine. Now if you’re standing with your banner in the wrong place at the wrong time, you could be a guinea pig in a sonar crowd-repelling experiment.

Vancouver police had the LRAD during anti-?Olympics protests, but guess what? In the face of pressure from the BC Civil Liberties Association, the police actually agreed to disable the high-pitch alert function during protests. Says the association’s David Eby, “These devices affect people who aren’t the intended target. We’re talking about the potential to deafen someone, and there’s been no third-party testing on how LRADs should be used.” ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=175279

[PDJane]

1. Yes. I know.

And that's just simply ridiculous. I can't imagine Torontonians rioting in the streets......hell, even the anarchists had more cops than protestors.

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2. The Canadians are spending one BILLION dollars on security. Gotta keep the peasants away.