So I went to the protest against tasers and police brutality in Toronto on Saturday. There was about 300-400 people, the majority of which were Polish. Evident by the large number of Polish flags. I took several pictures of the police.
A few things struck me about the protest. The first was that there were a dozen police standing in front the legislature. It seems that a group of people cannot gather in this country without a substancial police presence. What did they think we were going to do storm an empty legislature? Perhaps they just wanted to hear if people were bad-mouthing them or something.
The other thing that struck me was the age of the crowd. The majority were older, and by older I mean 50+. There were some young people, but not nearly the numbers that I would have hoped. There was an even split on the number of signs against tasers and those against police. However, the best placard read,
“I was hungry and you did not feed me, I was thirsty and you did not quench me, I was lost and you killed me.”
This Vancouver sign stuck me because I had placed a post on Facebook about whether or not support should be pulled for the Olympics. The screaming uproar from a few idiots makes me glad I left. If it weren’t for the mountains and the ocean it would be a hole. With the moral enlightenment of such people as Paul Wittal “Esq” (which means he is either a lawyer or he bought a watch) calling me “horrible” and Norm Wong called me “childish, petty and a terrorist” all in one paragraph.
The rally in Toronto also included a candle vigil for Robert with a photo and a large number of candles flickering in the stiff breeze.
The most gifted speaker in my opinion was the guy from Amnesty International. I couldn’t find his name on the invite on Facebook any more. He spoke of how AI had had concerns regarding tasers since they first came out and how they have been trying to get a moratorium on them.
Another two Canadians, one in Chilliwack and one in Nova Scotia have died from taser use and police brutality since Robert’s death.