Opportunities lost: peaceful protest suffered amidst heavy security measures and acts of vandalism during the G20
“Five feet away from me… Jesse fell down face first. The same officer [who punched him in the gut] then came and elbowed him in the back. The officer who was escorting me… looked over to me and said ‘Jeez, that shouldn’t have happened, shouldn’t have done that’.” journalist Steve Paikin (TVO)
Governments bear a very important responsibility to ensure security in and around events such as the G20 Summit. They have an equal responsibility to enable and protect the rights associated with peaceful protest, particularly freedoms of expression, assembly and association.
Some 1000 people were detained between June 25 and 28, 2010 in Toronto. While some were connected to acts of violence and vandalism - acts which Amnesty International clearly condemns - many were engaging in peaceful protest or simply caught up in police actions while going about their daily business. Among those targeted were journalists and others attempting to document the protests and the police response. This scale of arrests in connection with protests is unprecedented in Canada.
The G8/G20 Summits were supposed to have been a chance to talk about putting human rights at the heart of global fight against poverty. Instead, the voices of thousands were silenced or ignored and the headlines dominated by images of burning police cars and broken windows.
We urgently need an independent review of the security measures adopted and the range of police actions taken in association with the G20 Summit in Toronto.
Breaking News: Amnesty International's response to recent developments
While we welcome the forthcoming review to be undertaken by the Toronto Police Service’s (TPS) Summit Management After Action Review Team, this is not an adequate response to the concerns of Amnesty International and other organizations and individuals. The TPS review is not independent, nor does it enable public participation or cover the wider range of actors involved, including various levels of government.
On July 2nd, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced that he did not believe the circumstances warranted an independent review of the G20 security measures. He encouraged concerned individuals to use the existing police complaint procedures. Again, this fails to take into account the full range of actors involved beyond the police or the broader public interests at stake.
On July 6, 2010 the Toronto Police Services Board approved an Independent Civilian Review of police tactics during the G20 protests. According to TPS Board member Adam Vaughan "we'll be looking for people outside the police service board to conduct that review because I think the public wants independence on this." The TPS Board will meet again in two weeks to establish the scope of the review. However, it is already clear that the review will be limited to communications, policy and other non-operational issues and, of course, only the Toronto Police Service itself. Police from several jurisdictions across the country were deployed during the G20 security operations.
Amnesty International continues to call on the Federal government to undertake a comprehensive and independent review of the G20 security measures.
Here are two things you can do right now:
1. Express your concern about the security measures used before and during the G20 Summit in Toronto. Use the form below to send a message to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
2. Raise your voice on the international human rights issues that should have been the focus during the G20 Summit. Use the link in the lower left hand panel to send a message about human rights and poverty to the Millennium Summit Goals (MDG) presidents.
Dear Prime Minister Harper:
I recognize that providing security for the G20 Summit in downtown Toronto was not an easy policing challenge. I am concerned, however, that the security measures and police tactics adopted to deal with incidents of violence and peaceful protest have resulted in extensive violations of the rights associated with peaceful protest and due process, including rights to freedom of expression and assembly and the right to be protected from arbitrary arrest.
I am disappointed that Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty believes there are no concerns to be addressed beyond individual complaints to police. And while welcome, the limited review announced by the Toronto Police Services Board is simply not enough.
I call on the Canadian government to cooperate with the government of the province of Ontario to launch an independent review of the security measures put in place for the G20 Summit in Toronto. The review should include opportunities for public input and the results should be released to the public. The review should consider:
• The impact of security measures, including decisions about the location and venue, on the protection of human rights, including the freedoms of expression and assembly.
• The ways in which police operations and the use of legal provisions such as the Public Works Protection Act have impacted the rights of the many thousands of people living, working and operating businesses within and near the G20 security zone.
Yours sincerely,
RELATED NEWS AND UPDATES
G20 SECURITY: FRAMEWORK FOR AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW
These are the issues that should have been in the spotlight at the G8/G20! The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the most prominent global initiative to address poverty. But 10 years on, progress on the MDGs has left many behind. Add your name to our appeal to the United Nations to ensure a human rights approach to the next steps of the MDGs.
The report is based on the first-hand observations of over 50 human rights monitors that CCLA dispatched to observe the police presence at G20-related demonstrations throughout the week. It is the opinion of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association that police conduct during the G20 Summit was, at times, disproportionate, arbitrary and excessive. In our view, despite instances of commendable and professional conduct, the policing and security efforts, especially after 5PM on June 26 and June 27, failed to demonstrate commitment to Canada’s constitutional values.
If you witnessed an event that you are concerned about, or feel your rights have been violated, you are encouraged to contact the CCLA and fill out an incident reporting form. They will keep the information confidential unless you specifically give them permission to report what happened. Once it is complete, email it to the CCLA at mail@ccla.org, or fax it at (416) 861-1291.
The review should be given terms of reference that will facilitate and ensure cooperation among the different levels of government involved in summit security – federal, provincial and municipal. It could take the form of a public inquiry or other process that is independent and comprehensive. Here are some of the human rights concerns that should be investigated:
• The security challenges inherent in the location and venue that was chosen for the Summit (the downtown core of Canada’s largest urban centre).
• The failure to ensure public input into and awareness of the designation of the G20 security zone under Ontario’s Public Works Protection Act and the implications of the designation with respect to police powers of arrest.
• Whether the extensive police build-up in the lead-up to the Summit and the overwhelming and intimidating police presence on the streets of Toronto may have deterred members of the public from participating in peaceful protest and/or may have in any way fueled or provoked the likelihood of acts of vandalism and other violence.
• Whether the police response to acts of vandalism and other violence during the afternoon of June 26 was adequate.
• Whether adequate measures were taken to protect the rights of individuals living and working in and near the G20 security zone
• The justification for wide-sweeping arrests during the evening of June 26 and throughout the day on June 27, many of which appear to have failed to discriminate between individuals who may have committed crimes or been reasonably suspected to be planning to commit crimes, and individuals who are reported to have been involved in legitimate protest or to have simply been passers-by or bystanders.
• Whether appropriate steps were taken to ensure that conditions of detention complied with recognized standards for detention.
PHOTO CREDIT: TORONTO, ON - JUNE 26: Police officers detain a National Post photographer while he was photographing protestors demonstrating against the G8/G20 summits. © Scott Olson/Getty Images
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