http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/torontog20summit/article/810826
Anarchists plan ‘militant’ protests at G20
Protests to ‘humiliate the security apparatus’
It will be militant. It will be confrontational. And some things may be smashed.
In a rallying call that has its made its way onto numerous anti-capitalist websites, a group of Ontario anarchists is dropping clues of its plans to disrupt the G20 summit.
The Southern Ontario Anarchist Resistance (SOAR) plans to take part in the June 26 People First march — a popular public rally at London’s G20 summit in 2009 — before continuing down to the security fence to “confront the police state.”
“This action will be militant and confrontational, seeking to humiliate the security apparatus and make Toronto’s elites regret letting the dang G20 in here,” said the message, which first made rounds early last week.
The message promotes several protest events, including a roaming street party, and implores its members to support a variety of tactics.
“Respect for diversity of tactics also means not smashing things while we’re part of the labour child-friendly march, and remembering that although we might think certain tactics are pointless/annoying, we should not needlessly antagonize those people,” the posting reads.
It is unclear how large the group’s membership is. A message to a SOAR organizer wasn’t returned.
The G20’s Integrated Security Unit is keeping an eye on developing protests plans and officers have been in touch with several groups organizing different demonstrations, said ISU spokeswoman Meaghan Gray.
“We’re hoping that all protest action is peaceful and respectful, but we’re prepared for any eventuality,” said Gray.
While SOAR’s rhetoric brings to mind the 2001 Summit of the Americas in Quebec City or Seattle (1999) where demonstrations erupted in violence, Syed Hussan of the Toronto Community Mobilization Network says its wrong to assume the summer’s protests will be the same.
“That image, that was 10 years ago,” he said, adding some protesters may have more aggressive tactics than others, but any violence would come at the hands of police.
“The police are the ones with the Tasers. The police are the ones with the sonar cannons. It’s not us,” he said.
The Mobilization Network is connecting groups from across the continent to help coordinate protests of differing interests.