Welcome to the Communist Dictatorship/Police State of Canada

[FiReSTaRT]

First the government blows $1,200,000,000 of our tax dollars and counting on security alone, and now any law-abiding citizen can be detained as a criminal:
CBC News - Toronto - Police get new powers for G20

Police forces in charge of security for the G20 in Toronto have been granted special powers for the duration of the summit.
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Ontario's cabinet quietly passed the new rules on June 2 without legislature debate.
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The new powers are in effect on the streets and sidewalks in and around the security fence.
Under the new regulations, anyone who comes within five metres of the security area is obliged to give police their name and state the purpose of their visit.
Police, at their discretion, can deny access to the area and "use whatever force is necessary" to keep people out.
Anyone who refuses to identify themselves or refuses to provide a reason for their visit can be fined up to $500.
The regulation also says that if someone has a dispute with an officer and it goes to court "the police officer's statement under oath is considered conclusive evidence under the Act."
Burrows said police have already made "two or three" arrests under the new rules as of Friday morning.

Those arrests include one Masters student who didn't have a photo ID on him and got arrested for that and kept in a wire cage. A cop's word is now given the same weight as a paper trail or video evidence. I hope Mahoney-Bruer isn't getting overtime for the security detail

[ppgear]

Yeah having absolute power like that can't be good.

[FiReSTaRT]

They are essentially allowed to treat public streets the same way as court houses and airports. The scary part is that this legal amendment won't be published (and effectively made into a law) until after G8/G20. Doesn't stop them from enforcing it right now.

[bonemanrides]

Yikes..... Scary stuff. Power corrupts. Absolute power... corrupts absolutely.

[FiReSTaRT]

Yikes..... Scary stuff. Power corrupts. Absolute power... corrupts absolutely.

And it looks like both of our governments are learning quite well.. Hell, when I see a Black Bloc dude, I'm more likely to think he's a cop (like in Seattle and in Quebec) than a "bona-fide" anarchist.

[loopybat]

What is the '"security area"'?

[FiReSTaRT]

Too much of the downtown.