Toronto Star: G20 law gives police sweeping powers to arrest people

[IntravenousDemilo]

Jennifer Yang
Staff Reporter

The province has secretly passed an unprecedented regulation that empowers police to arrest anyone near the G20 security zone who refuses to identify themselves or agree to a police search.

A 31-year-old man has already been arrested under the new regulation, which was quietly passed by the provincial cabinet on June 2.

The regulation was made under Ontario’s Public Works Protection Act and was not debated in the Legislature. According to a provincial spokesperson, the cabinet action came in response to an “extraordinary request” by Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair, who wanted additional policing powers shortly after learning the G20 was coming to Toronto.

The regulation kicked in Monday and will expire June 28, the day after the summit ends. While the new regulation appeared without notice on the province’s e-Laws online database last week, it won’t be officially published in The Ontario Gazette until July 3 — one week after the regulation expires.


More at http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/828367--g20-law-gives-police-sweeping-powers-to-arrest-people

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If Mayor Miller doesn't sack the chief of police for going over his head to the provincial cabinet, he's just as guilty of breaching Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms as Premier McGuinty and Prime Minister Harper.

And now tear gas has been used for the first time in the streets of Toronto. Twitter is saying rubber bullets have been used as well, but that's unconfirmed.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

1. Those people understand exactly what is going on in there.

Tear gas and rubber bullets? At least they haven't microwaved them . . . yet.

[Billmelater]

2. police state north

Constitutional rights and democracy is proving to be so damn inconvenient.

[IntravenousDemilo]

3. Wow, only two people bothered to comment.

I guess if it happens in Canada, it isn't important.

[Hannah Bell]

4. kick

[jp11]

5. I commented on a similar if not the same story yesterday

It is a disgrace how police powers are expanded and rights are thrown out to make things easier.

[IntravenousDemilo]

6. I think it just goes to show...

you can't really look to Canada anymore as any kind of enlightened example to follow. Not for now, anyway, not till we turf these pricks from office.

[IntravenousDemilo]

7. And now this!

Toronto's police chief is admitting there never was a five-metre rule that had people fearing arrest if they strayed too close to the G20 security perimeter. Civil libertarians were fuming after hearing Friday that the Ontario cabinet gave police the power to stop and search anyone coming within five metres of the G20 fences in Toronto for a one week period.

However, the Ministry of Community Safety says all the cabinet did was update the law that governs entry to such things as court houses to include specific areas inside the G20 fences — not outside. A ministry spokeswoman says the change was about property, not police powers, and did not include any mention of a zone five metres outside the G20 security perimeter. When asked Tuesday if there actually was a five-metre rule given the ministry's clarification, Chief Bill Blair smiled and said, “No, but I was trying to keep the criminals out.”

More at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/police-admit-deliberately-misleading-public-on-expanded-security-fence-law/article1622864/

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Lies! Lies! Fucking lies!