Last week, leaders of nations from both the G8 and G20 gathered in Ontario Canada, for meetings in in Huntsville and Toronto. Canadian authorities planning for the event spent an estimated $1 billion, mostly for security. Tens of thousands of protesters descended on Toronto, looking to have their voices heard on a broad range of issues, from indigenous rights to anti-capitalist ideals, to human and animal rights, and much more. Many peaceful marches took place throughout the weekend, but on Saturday, a small group of “black bloc” anarchists became violent, smashing storefronts and burning several police vehicles. Harsher tactics and more arrests by the 20,000 police officers deployed to Toronto soon followed, although many of those arrested were released from a temporary G20 detainment center soon after. (42 photos total)

Police display items confiscated in unrelated incidents

Jill Mahoney

Toronto Police staged a display of weaponry to demonstrate “the extent of the criminal conspiracy” among hard-line G20 protesters, but several of the items had nothing to do with the summit.

Facing criticism for their tactics, police invited journalists on Tuesday to view a range of weapons, from a machete and baseball bat to bear spray and crowbars.

Chief Bill Blair, who told reporters the items were evidence of the protesters’ intent, singled out arrows covered in sports socks, which he said were designed to be dipped in a flammable liquid and set ablaze.

See also http://cryptome.org/info/g8-police/g8-police.htm

See also http://cryptome.org/info/g8-police/g8-police2.htm

Police lined the streets of Toronto in a show of force on Friday, holding in a sea of protesters united in their desire for greater freedoms.

As thousands of G20 protesters marched west on College St., Josh Hanson stayed behind in the Yonge St. intersection, staging a sit-in with a half-dozen others behind a row of police officers.

“I’m here to support people and their fight for their freedoms, their personal freedoms, every day,” said Hanson, a native of Red Deer, Alta. “And to protest the outrageous amount of spending, the cost to these people for this police state.”