G20 chaos from street level in Toronto

I took some time today after the wonderful Ghana vs. USA match to walk out to the chaotic street scene in downtown Toronto just south of here, where the G20 summit is taking place. You'd think it's against conventional wisdom to venture out when reports on tv say that riots have broke out and protesters have gone nuts. But I figured I'm not going to be this close to an event like this for another ten, twenty years. Plus I thought the media was a little incompetent in broadcasting this whole issue and wanted to see first hand what was really going on. So why not?

I first went down to City Hall at just past 5pm. Amazingly, it was extremely calm at Nathan Phillips Square. A bunch of backpackers taking pictures around the Winston Churchill statue, where a pigeon stood on his head, banners of Toronto's Jazz Festival still in full swing, the only black smoke coming out of a nearby hot dog stand, where people who look like newcomers to Canada stand around going about what looks like daily gossip. Nothing unusual. 

Photo-op with The Broken Starbucks Window.

I proceed south to Queen and Bay. There was a large group gathered at the Old City Hall on-looking action to the south - some protesters wearing bandannas were taking a break from a day of yelling with their signs to their sides. I walk across a Queen Street almost completely devoid of traffic, onto the corner Starbucks and TD, which has one of its window smashed to pieces - the same one that just appeared on CBC, who have their news vans parked next door. People were curious to take a picture with this new landmark. 

Down Bay St. was where all the action is. As I walk south, people are increasing in numbers. Most with cameras handy snapping at the crowds in front of them (even saw an iPhone 4), some recording footage of the event which will, I'm sure, gradually make its way onto YouTube. The famous Bay St. of Toronto, normally bustling with daily traffic and businesspeople, was now filled with a hot, tense air and thousands of mobile bodies gradually merging into a large crowd; you can't tell who is there to protest and who is there to just to check out what's happening. 

At Bay and Adelaide, near where I work, I witnessed the first big crowd of the day, and the first police barricade of my life. As I sneak up to the frontlines, I manage to catch a glimpse of a middle-aged white guy yelling at the motionless Police in front of him. "How long do you think we're gonna take this shit??" He yelled hysterically while trancing around like a voodoo artist, "A new fuckin' world order is here! Wake up people, a new fuckin' world order!" The crowd remains largely silent, but are duly entertained. Some egg him on.

The police wall stretches across the width of Bay St both north and south of Adelaide, blocking off access to the intersection. A large police security truck is in the middle - maybe that's what they were trying to protect. The officers were clad in heavy gear from head to toe, including the usual riot gear consisting of baton, shield, and large masks which make seeing the faces of individual officers impossible. On this day, they have no identity. 

Suddenly, the police pull up their batons in unison. The crowd reacted. Some people begin dashing away from the intersection, thinking that they were about to make a move against the protesters. Others openly speculate on the reason for this latest manoever. Miraculously, the police wall begins pulling back in unison along with the security truck. Protesters chant as if this is some kind of victory. 

The mobile barricade now crawled slowly towards Bay and King, near Commerce Court. This stretch of Bay St, the pulsating heart of Canada's financial industry, suffered the most damage from the hooligans of the day; smashed windows are visible on both sides of the street. Some people are making calls over their cellphones, others continue to snap pictures. While I tweet my updates I unknowingly walk into freshly broken glass as the chants in front of me begin to simmer. 

"...What does democracy look like?"
"This is what democracy looks like!"
"...What does democracy feel like?"
"This is what democracy feels like!"

Protesters shout while motioning towards the police barricade. I thought this particular slogan was kind of lame. Not gonna lie, it sort of reminded me of frosh week. 

Flags were flying at the intersection - mostly those of First Nations, Palestine, and what looked like Communism. I smell marijuana, but can't seem to locate the source. More chants ensue. 

"One-two-three-four, we won't take this shit no more! Five-six-seven-eight, organize and retaliate!" Several protest leaders shout the first part into their megaphone, and the crowd gives the follow-up. Four of five repetitions later, the contagion spreads... even some of the more 'innocent'-looking bystanders chime in on it. At the Trump Tower, currently under construction, young men leap up onto barrels to get a better glimpse of the situation. A couple of dejected Palestinian protesters sit on the side of the street to take a drink and talk about what to do next. The slogans then slowly descend into inaudible noise, before another round begins. 

Police barricade on Saturday at Bay and King.

BMO seems to have suffered the most damage. Windows that were shattered earlier in the day were already encased in wooden boards to block protesters from entering the building. Anarchist slogans were painted on walls. At the corner of Bay and King, police finally take a breather as the some protesters begin to disperse. Behind the barricade, a makeshift refreshment station was set up for officers to take off their masks, feel a bit of fresh air, and take a drink. A hysterical middle-aged guy, probably a protester, poses in front of the cops while giving the middle finger. Next to him, a young Asian girl smiles on this up-close-and-personal photo-op with police while her boyfriend snaps the moment. Several other backpackers follow suit. Guess they weren't here to protest after all.

As I walked back to my temporary residence a couple of blocks north, I reflected on the day's events. I set out to get a real look at the events of today, but also wanted to find out what people were actually protesting about. This question still begged answers. There does not seem to be any kind of cohesion or unity amongst each of the protest groups. Some protest for maternal rights, others for a free Palestine, others hold up union signs, and others still just want to wreak havoc wherever they could while they have the media's attention.

All the while when windows were smashed, people were injured, and police cars were burned, the real decision makers of this world, without batting an eyelid, are either going about hashing out the world's economic direction just a couple of blocks down, or sipping their cocktails at a resort in the Bahamas while planning when to next cash in on the stock options; while the average person watches the event unfold on the news ticker, dismissing it as a bunch of rowdy, hot-blooded hippies who are up to no good, go right back to watching today's World Cup highlights; while the immigrant downtown store-owner laments the damages to his all too new enterprise, wondering where to go next; and the female police officer will go home tonight, put her kids to sleep, and try to reassure her family that she will be okay, even though she knows there will be more stress ahead on the next shift in her ironclad gear beneath the boiling sun.

At the end of the day, what's the point?