On June 27 2010 16:07 eLiE wrote: google "anarchists target yonge" to see a bunch of fucktards protest by smashing the windows of stores such as quiznos, sears, rogers, some clothing stores (don't forget mutilating manikins). it's disheartening to see how people take advantage of legitimate protests by putting on masks and smashing shit. i'm just glad I handed in my placement forms to ryerson on wednesday, i may have had some troubles walking down yonge had i gone at a later time. and where are those billion dollars worth of cops when you need em? i wouldn't mind seeing a vid where the douchebags eat some plastic bullets...
Watching this video makes me want to puke. WHY is nobody trying to stop them? Do none of the protesters have a sense of justice? This is such a shame, as much as I don't like Toronto, the residents did nothing to deserve this.
On June 27 2010 16:04 ZerglingSoup wrote: For the record, people who are insanely rich are insanely rich because they have a knack for creating wealth. If people want a piece of that, they should lower their voices. Also, while people are demanding that governments make them hand over their money, they are already starting to do it themselves:
It's nice when entrepreneurs give their money away, I'd be surprised to see many bankers, and people who inherited their wealth do the same. Banker's sure do "have a knack for creating wealth" though
Not to dog what they are doing, it is truly amazing.
Well distribution of wealth is very lopsided in the US alot of ppl are filthy rich and kids just inherent money then the people who control that money make money off them.
The prob in the US is that we don't tax enough, in the past 50 years taxes have fallen dramatically esp when dealing with the rich. The Rich convinced us of top down economics, but frankly it has not worked out so it's time again to tax the shit out of crap esp as more entitlement crap comes into play with our aging population.
You want benefits pay the taxes for it. The shit that really pisses me of the how degraded most of America's infrastructure is.
I don't think that taxes are the actual problem. According to http://www.usdebtclock.org/ the debt owed per citizen in personal debt alone is nearly 53,000. Then factor in federal debt. I think more taxes would really make things harder for small business and possibly make more people default and generate even more debt long term while generating decent revenue short term. We need real reform, or more wars.
Watching this video makes me want to puke. WHY is nobody trying to stop them? Do none of the protesters have a sense of justice? This is such a shame, as much as I don't like Toronto, the residents did nothing to deserve this.
mob mentality i guess. it probably wouldn't take much to take them though. just take off their masks and they'll run away like a bunch of wusses (i'll try to tone down the swearing, haha). im not sure, though, cause that one old guy grabbed that guy and the crowd started yelling at him, so it could have gotten messy.
Responsible protesters have attempted citizen's arrests. They usually scamper off. Someone already mentioned this is the majority of the media coverage the protesters will get unfortunately, so thankfully because some glass broke and some cars burned (which we pay for) they get some due attention just like everyone would like. I might catch flack with this but its a mountain from a mole hill really.
Anarchists arent anti-gov there in same side... they demonize the public by having anarchist vandalizing the streets and trashing the stores. prime example would be the Seattle riot. Just look at the mainstream news talking about the violence always and when they do show peaceful protests they say because of heavy police presence. you most people dont realize the magnitude of control these secret luciferian groups have in the society since ages, which now they control the population through corporate cosmology. iam very deeply worried what kind of world my children will live in as we slip deeper and deeper into oblivion.
On June 27 2010 16:04 OpticalShot wrote: I was actually @ Eaton Centre today during the afternoon for general shopping, just ate a sub from Quiznos around 3:40pm, came outside and realized no subway access (already blocked off) at Dundas so started walking up Yonge (towards Bloor)... then all of a sudden people are RUNNING past us so we (myself and my friends) just ran with them, lol. Behind us... a dozen cops running towards us. First time I've been chased by a police (not that I've done anything wrong... besides being in downtown while G20 is on?), kind of exciting but I didn't have time to get new shoes from footlocker (they were having clearance sale on classic adidas shoes... dammit).
Just my two cents related to this issue.
This post is so ironic, it might as well been quoted from 1984, otherland or other grim future fiction books. Seriously, i think in the first part of otherland there is a newsflash where someone is interviewed that got into protests because they wanted to shop downtown.
Not that this is the first time that i'm noticing this. Just sends chills up my spine every time ..
On June 27 2010 16:04 OpticalShot wrote: I was actually @ Eaton Centre today during the afternoon for general shopping, just ate a sub from Quiznos around 3:40pm, came outside and realized no subway access (already blocked off) at Dundas so started walking up Yonge (towards Bloor)... then all of a sudden people are RUNNING past us so we (myself and my friends) just ran with them, lol. Behind us... a dozen cops running towards us. First time I've been chased by a police (not that I've done anything wrong... besides being in downtown while G20 is on?), kind of exciting but I didn't have time to get new shoes from footlocker (they were having clearance sale on classic adidas shoes... dammit).
Just my two cents related to this issue.
I was supposed to work at Eaton Centre today but my schedule got changed last minute and the guy that took my spot was stuck inside there for a while. Dunno how to feel, relieved it wasn't me but bad cause it was a fellow coworker He's fine though, probably one of those guys taking cellphone pictures of the aftermath.
The people who break windows and stuff don't realize that shop owners are losing a lot of money and the employees working there have to clean it all up after. Some of those small shops are family owned businesses or franchises that can't afford this mayhem.
Fast forward to 7:44 in the video. A small pizza shop (probably family owned), two guys defending it with their arms crossed and glaring eyes as their only weapons.
I'm surprised this actually happened cause usually Torontonians are pretty docile. I'd even bet that all the people causing destruction are not from Toronto... but all the people watching, taking pictures, and too afraid or indecisive to take any action (for or against) are from Toronto.
When is the last time a peaceful protest had a thread about it on teamliquid? I couldn't find any on the front page except for an 800 person blizzard beta key protest... lol
"By the late 1980s, roughly a third of Ottawa's revenues were being used to pay interest" (foreignpolicy.com) There is plenty of good reason to support the protesters. Interest has it's necessity but the way its been used in our world is a f*cken crime a million times over. There is a lot wrong with the way the world works today, and it's easy to accept it by being lethargic or complacent. If only we could know exactly what is going on. To be honest I'm just worried about a meltdown of some sort. There are a lot of things to be fought for or they will be taken away.
To all of the sheltered, pacifistic, media-brainwashed, so-called "educated" individuals posting such illuminating statements in this thread along the lines of "violence doesn't solve anything, why are those idiots protesting peaceful meetings" etc... I say to you:
Because of what happened in Toronto, this thread exists. Because shit was broken and smashed and vandalized, this thread exists, and thousands of others like it on the internet exist, and people who have never even heard of the G20 meetings are now at least slightly aware of the some of the most serious issues underlying our civilization today.
Intelligent discussion does not work with corrupt, greedy, callous corporate tyrants. Sometimes you really do need to man up and get your hands wet and red to change the world. I say they didn't go far enough.
On June 27 2010 11:26 Severedevil wrote: People are breaking shit to protest a peaceful meeting?
Of all the things to get violent over...
?
If you did some reading (even wikipedia), and understood the consolidation of power, poverty, and sadness that the g-20 and the IMF and World Bank (which are represented with more power than actual countries have in the g-20) create, maybe you would at least understand why people are angry enough to be violent.
Edit: I'll try to explain
The World Bank and IMF are like the worlds biggest loan sharks. They loan money to developing countries, but they countries have to agree to 'Structural Adjustments' which usually includes cutting government spending (healthcare, security, and Government subsidies go first), privatize natural resources (sell things like mines, forests, etc to corporations), and remove or lower tariffs, labor laws and environmental protections to increase foreign investment (woooh more corporations).
It's one thing to be angry, but being violent is taking it way to far. They accomplish nothing by committing these idiotic acts of vandalism to our city. Those small businesses and restaurants didn't deserve to be smashed into. They shouldn't be picking on the innocent just to prove a point.
Harper "wins". Torontonians (and all taxpayers) lose. Plus a slippery slope towards more abusive police powers.
A billion dollars wasted. Successfully creating chaos in an area (Toronto) where Harper doesn't have any supporters, so nothing to lose, while he mingles with other world leaders and unsuccessfully tries to get them to increase trade or whatever with Canada. And somehow the fucking McGuinty government approves all sorts of "temporary" police powers - like the power to arrest you if you won't show the ID that you must be carrying. And all this without any public debate nor informing the public that the rules have changed. And he has the gall to say that "Ontarians understand there's something extraordinary happening inside our province." A big meeting every working Canadian has to pay $50 towards and take no part of, while painting a big target on the country's largest city "Anarchists come here."
I really dislike their argument that such unreasonable police powers are simply temporary. If they did it this time they could easily do it again any time in the future. What kind of democracy is this?
On June 27 2010 11:26 Severedevil wrote: People are breaking shit to protest a peaceful meeting?
Of all the things to get violent over...
From a certain point of view, that i don't necessarly endorse, this meeting is far more violent than few cars burning and some mayhem for a few days.
People feel that the rich and powerful are discussing how to perpetuate domination and how to keep alive with the least change possible the system that fuck them in the ass.
I don't think violence without a positive idea helps at all, but I can understand where the anger comes from.
The protesters are just a bunch of naive hipsters. If they really wanted to 'rebel' they should stop consuming useless junk like ipods , go live on some farm in the sticks and grow their own food.If they want a life without government oppression you won't find that in some big city. Go do something with your life hippies instead of complaining about everything.
The worst part of all this is that these Blac Bloc people are validating the massive funding put into security for the conference.
There are much more secure areas within Canada to hold it, and much more better things to spend our Canadian tax dollars on. I understand that there is security needed, but I feel the majority of that cost could be mitigated by a location change. Poor planning by the Harper government caused this. That money could of been spent on the Canadian healthcare system, could of helped create more jobs. Close less schools or even subsidize the poor farmers in my province.
What a mess. This makes Canada look horrible, and a lot of the protesters are from outside the country.
Oh Ninja edit: The police are actually cooperating with peaceful protesters, and vice versa. I have a friend down there who is protesting the overspending. A lot of the group he is with have called 911 on the violent protesters. Also, the police 'safe protesting' area is right next to the safety fence/riot line so they aren't just corralling them into an area where they won't be heard.
Documentary on what our money really is, and how banks exploit it. The follow up documentary sequel carries it closer to a more "real" depiction. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVkFb26u9g8
Documentary on what the corporation is and how they exploit governments and that if they didn't oppress people they would be neglecting their duty. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pin8fbdGV9Y .
Great documentaries. Should be required viewing for everyone.
Unless you want to actually get educated. Then you should probably read books and journals instead of watching frivolous and biased documentaries. But, you know... that takes effort.
EPT![[image loading]](http://i48.tinypic.com/jil6s2.jpg)
He's fine though, probably one of those guys taking cellphone pictures of the aftermath.
