G20 Protests Continue

In yesterday’s blog, we visited the most pressing issue in Toronto today. The G20 Summit takes place this coming weekend and has created quite a stir among a large number of citizens of the country’s largest city.

In today’s Toronto Sun, Tom Godfrey reports that protesters of the Summit will be targeting banks and gas stations in the downtown area in the days ahead. Knowing full well that people visit both banks and gas stations on a daily basis, it is evident that protesterts intend on causing major disruptions for Torontotians this week.

At a news conference earlier today, protesters insisted that this weekend’s meeting at the Metro Convention Centre will be met with “days of action” that include rallies in favour of equal rights for people of all genders and races. Two of downtown Toronto’s major streets – Queen and Yonge – became the venues for such rallies earlier today.

Sharmeen Khan, of Toronto Community Mobilization Network, feel that activists are being targeted by police as every rally organizer has been spoken to by law officials. As Godfrey writes, Kahn noted that “two protesters were detained and realeased without charges during a rally on Monday.”

Syed Hussan is the spokesman for Toronto Community Mobilization Network. When asked about why gas stations were being targeted as locations for protesters, he mentioned that they are symbolic. Specifying a short-lived occupation of an Esso station yesterday, Hussan said that “Esso was one of the multinationals bailed out by the government. This is part of our ongoing resistance.”

Toronto sports fans may have something to protest themselves. The furor of the upcoming G20 Summit in Toronto this weekend has forced Major League Baseball to relocate the Toronto Blue Jays’ weekend series with the Philadelphia Phillies to Philadelphia. Blue Jays fans were eagerly anticipating the return of Roy Halladay to Toronto, and now will not get the chance to watch one of their favourites pitch again.

In an extreme rarity, even though the three game series, which takes place June 25-27 will be played in Philly, they will still be considered Toronto home games, with the Jays batting last. The designated hitter rule, which is reserved for American League play, will be in effect as well, even though the Phillies are a National League team.

Needless to say, the G20 Summit in Toronto this weekend is already having a far-reaching impact.