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Why are they Protesting?

As the Mainstream media focuses on "violence" why are protesters on the street?

by Tim Groves

Why are they Protesting?

 

“While the press love to focus on the "black bloc" and this idea of ”violence” they also love to forget that people are collectively taking their concerns to the streets because they are against the structures and policies of the G20, which have caused, poverty, homelessness, environmental destruction, and displacement, among numerous other social injustices.” said Maryam Adrangi, a spokesperson for the Toronto Community Mobilization Network.

If you are more interested in learning why protesters are on the streets that you are at looking at “riot porn” or focusing on the violence, then check out the first five pieces of our series on the issues that surround what the G8 and G20 are talking about.

 

G8/G20: The Issues Pt. 1 Women's Groups Respond to G8 Health Agenda

 

G8/20: The Issues Pt.2 Economics Measures Planned to Save Banks From Themselves

 

G8/20: The Issues Pt. 3 Weak Climate Commitments Get Weaker

 

G8/20: The Issues Pt. 4 Native Issues Absent from Agenda in Name Only
 

G8/20: The Issues Pt. 5 G8 Foreign Policy Issues Big and Small

Another great source for examining the issues behind the G8 and G20 is www.g20breakdown.com


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Comments

hypocrisy

Submitted by Vancouver Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 06/27/2010 - 01:46.

they care about environment destruction as they show the world how well they can grapgitti and burn cars.... they care about socialism with their ipods, cell phones in hand.... they care about "women" but think that women exsist in a vaccuum....whereas fathers are being destroyed by the courts and they only want to focus on women's issues because they think that men are not gendered. they complain about spending on a conference and then ignore other issues of government spending. these are a bunch of bored college kids on summer vacation....the only reason why they are there is because it's the weekend.

Seems like you're trying to

Submitted by Toronto Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 07/06/2010 - 15:06.

Seems like you're trying to draw attention away from the real issues by making statements about things that you obviously have very little knowledge of. You have no idea who the people are behind the masks and what they fight for daily. There's a reason why they many broke away from the march with the bloc and supported them. Because they know they are on the same side, and they know that people who employ the black bloc tactic are involved in many daily grassroots struggles, and they know that they share the same analysis of the deep rooted causes of the problems that plague us.

Why are they protesting?

Submitted by Helena Vieira (not verified) on Sun, 06/27/2010 - 14:35.

Tim, I have been asking this question for a long time. They are very active and very persistent, but I am under the impression that not everyone protesting in these meetings have the same goals and agenda. The protesters' message is a bit dispersive. This was a great post, though. I just linked to it in my blog http://digitalworldcitizens.blogspot.com/

Not making change

Submitted by T from the prairies (not verified) on Sun, 06/27/2010 - 16:05.

I tend to agree with the statements within the Hipocrisy post. If these people truly care and want to make change do it within. Standing "outside" the discussion and burning cop cars isn't going to make a bit of difference. Coming up with alternative ideas and working it from the inside would likely have more effect.
I'm sure there are a 1000 excuses for not trying to be "at the table" but until these protesters convince the general public they have a better alternative all their energy is wasted on a deaf audience.

re: not making a change

Submitted by Toronto Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 06/28/2010 - 02:09.

I didn't realize that "they" (we) were invited to the table. Isn't that one of the major issues. The rich world leaders getting together to discuss issues which affect the people, without inviting/consulting the people.

A Very Thin Blue Line

Submitted by A Canadian (not verified) on Sun, 06/27/2010 - 17:50.

I find it odd indeed, that the cars were abandoned by police (sacrificially?). The blazing cruisers certainly brought media attention and, with it, public condemnation of all protestors. That all protestors and their vital messages are lost, can be added justifiably to the numerous indicators of what thousands now believe is the coming of a police state and further encroachment of democracy.
The more that protestors are swathed as a 'bad lot', the less their voices are heard (or simply dismissed), either individually or collectively. This is very disconcerting, but if it is not (to you), perhaps a dictatorship and police state and all that goes with it are more appealing. Perhaps too, you should live in a country where your freedom of speech is met with real or overt threats. Where you can't for a labour union or risk being tortured and/or murdered. Where you are beaten mercilessly for acting a bit odd (by police. Oh wait, that is Canada NOW. Enjoy your obedience and mutness.

 Your points are greatly

Submitted by Ottawa Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 06/28/2010 - 00:22.

 Your points are greatly exaggerated, which is something that seems to be done by a lot of these people who were arrested.

Canada is not a "police state", and Canada is one of the most free nations in the world. Never have I heard of a Canadian being threatened to be murdered for joining a labour union. When you have lunatics going out and burning cars and smashing windows, the police need to act. Perhaps it is the Black Bloc who are in clear violation of their rights who are taking away from the messages, as was said by many protestors who did have real issues.

I don't understand when it became "cool" to title everything police brutality and police state, but it's sad. I, for one, would rather live in a nation where the police arrest people who (if we were in the US) could probably be charged under the Patriot Act for those acts, as opposed to one where I have to fear being hit in the head with a brick when I'm sitting down to lunch.

Lastly, I would love to see these people who call it a police state (and even those who had been arrested and called the detaining centre a concentration camp) actually travel to a nation that is under that sort of rule, and realize just how lucky they are to be living where they are.

We don't have half a million immigrants flocking to Canada each year because we're such a terrible country, maybe it's about time Canadians realized how good they have it.

your point

Submitted by Toronto Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 06/28/2010 - 02:36.

yes. other countries have it worse. but if you had been on the streets in toronto in the last 3 days you would be radicalized. the police have violated the law in ways i never imagined possible.

 Your points are greatly

Submitted by Ottawa Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 06/28/2010 - 00:22.

 Your points are greatly exaggerated, which is something that seems to be done by a lot of these people who were arrested.

Canada is not a "police state", and Canada is one of the most free nations in the world. Never have I heard of a Canadian being threatened to be murdered for joining a labour union. When you have lunatics going out and burning cars and smashing windows, the police need to act. Perhaps it is the Black Bloc who are in clear violation of their rights who are taking away from the messages, as was said by many protestors who did have real issues.

I don't understand when it became "cool" to title everything police brutality and police state, but it's sad. I, for one, would rather live in a nation where the police arrest people who (if we were in the US) could probably be charged under the Patriot Act for those acts, as opposed to one where I have to fear being hit in the head with a brick when I'm sitting down to lunch.

Lastly, I would love to see these people who call it a police state (and even those who had been arrested and called the detaining centre a concentration camp) actually travel to a nation that is under that sort of rule, and realize just how lucky they are to be living where they are.

We don't have half a million immigrants flocking to Canada each year because we're such a terrible country, maybe it's about time Canadians realized how good they have it.

Exaggerated? Unfortunately,

Submitted by Toronto Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 07/06/2010 - 15:24.

Exaggerated? Unfortunately, the stories coming out from this don't need to be exaggerated. By you saying that you're being hugely disrespectful to all those who have had traumatic experiences over the past couple weeks. If you're so worried about being hit in the head with a brick while having lunch (which i haven't heard any accounts of) contemplate getting hit in the face with a police baton, pepper spray, tear gas (all of which happen often.) Or maybe being trampled under the hooves of police horses, being tasered, or straight up punched is more your style. If illegal (and more importantly,  just plain wrongful) searches, arrests, detention, beatings aren't symptoms of a growing police state I don't know what is. Maybe you just can't see that from all the way up in your ivory tower. As far as immigrants go, many are coming here because their own countries have been ruined, often by the very same imperialist and colonial policies that the g20 implement.

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