LOCAL EVENTS WINNIPEG:
I'M FOREVER BLOWING BUBBLES:




Finally an event that shows a spark of creativity. The local branch of Canadians Demanding A Public Inquiry Into Toronto G20 is organizing a "bubble rally" to publcize their panel discussion next week. Most protests have a dreary aura of sameness to them, but this one actually looks like fun. Here's the promo >>>>>
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Bubbly Panel Promotion!
Time Saturday · 1:00pm - 4:00pm

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Location Memorial Park - In front of the Leg between York Ave. and the fountains
Osborne @ York
Winnipeg, MB

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Created By
Canadians Demanding a Public Inquiry into Toronto G20 (Winnipeg Chapter)

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More Info
As part of promotion for the G20 Perspectives panel discussion next Thursday, a few of us have decided to organize a little mobile bubble rally this Saturday. We’ll meet at Memorial Park with bubble wands in hand, and then, depending on numbers, either split into groups or go en masse to a few different high-traffic areas (The Forks, Portage Place, The Exchange) to hand out promotional flyers for the event.

Why bubbles? Answer: ... http://tinyurl.com/bubblegirl
How do I make my own bubble solution? Answer: http://www.wikihow.com/Make--Bubble-Solution

LOCAL EVENTS WINNIPEG:

PANEL ON G20 AND CIVIL LIBERTIES:

Thursday, August 19...a panel discussion on the recent g20 summit in Toronto and its effect on civil liberties. Here's the blurb.

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G20 Perspectives:

A Panel Discussion on Civil Liberties and Global Justice
Time August 19 · 7:00pm - 9:00pm

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Location Carol Shields Auditorium, Millennium Library, 2nd Floor
251 Donald St.
Winnipeg, MB

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Created By Canadians Demanding a Public Inquiry into Toronto G20 (Winnipeg Chapter)

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More Info Join us for a panel discussion on issues pertaining to the recent G20 Summit in Toronto.

The panelists will be:
-David Camfield: Member of the editorial board of New Socialist webzine
-Joan Grace: Professor of Politics at U of W specializing in civil society and policy advocacy, state architecture and political engagement.
...-Chris Powell: Professor of Sociology at U of M
-Dan Lett: Political Opinion columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press
-Robert Chernomas: Professor of Economics at U of M and board member of the Council of Canadians

The above list is subject to change.

LOCAL EVENTS WINNIPEG:
WINNIPEG DEMONSTRATION ABOUT THE G20 EVENTS:



As part of the nationwide actions demanding a public inquiry into police actions at the recent G20 police riot and demanding the release of all political prisoners jailed over these events there will be a demonstration here in Winnipeg at 4:00 pm. Here's the info from Facebook. Hard to say how this will go considering the weather. Thunderstorm as we speak.
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G20 Solidarity:
Free All Political Prisoners. Drop All Charges. Effective Public Inquiry.
Winnipeg, MB - On Saturday, July 17 at 4pm, citizens concerned about the treatment of demonstrators during the G20 discussions in Toronto, ON in June 2010 will be meeting for a rally and march at the Chinese Cultural Centre Park at the corner of James Ave and King St.

Members of The Canadian Federation of Students, Winnipeg Copwatch, FemRev Collective, CUPE Local 3909, Council of Canadians, Winnipeg New Socialists and Anarchist Black Cross will be rallying in solidarity with the unknown number of people still in custody for exercising their democratic right to protest and with the 1090 demonstrators and members of the public arrested in Toronto during the G20. There will be a march to the Public Safety Building and to Old Market Square for a performance of spontaneous political theatre. This action is occurring to denounce the multitude of Charter Rights violations at the hands of law enforcement, via the Ontario and Canadian governments, including, but not limited to, illegal search and seizure, indiscriminate arrests, beatings, and extended, inhumane and arbitrary detentions, of not only demonstrators, but of journalists, minors, medics, legal observers and passers-by.

“We are demanding that all political prisoners be released and that all charges against demonstrators be dropped. We ask that an effective, binding inquiry with the power to bring charges against law enforcement agents and government officials responsible be initiated immediately,” says Sarah K. an organizer with FemRev Collective and with the G20 Solidarity Coalition.


For further information about the G20 Solidarity Rally please contact 204.509.4724.

CANADIAN POLITICS:

MORE PRESSURE FOR PUBLIC INQUIRY ON G20 POLICE ACTIONS:

Following last weekend's well attended demonstrations calling for a public inquiry into the police actions at the recent G20 summit in Toronto further actions are planned across the country this Saturday, July 17. Here's an item from the Globe and Mail about what happened last weekend in Toronto when thousands turned out to protest the "police riot" at the summit.

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Thousands of protesters rally for G20 public inquiry
Published on Saturday, Jul. 10, 2010 11:33AM EDT

Last updated on Monday, Jul. 12, 2010 7:19PM EDT


Thousands of people turned out for a protest in Toronto Saturday afternoon, calling for more public inquiries into police treatment of protesters during the G20 summit.

In a route laden with symbolism, protesters marched from Queen's Park, where the first mass arrests took place during the G20 protests, to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the site of the summit itself, which became an inaccessible fortress during the G20.

As samba drummers played and blew whistles, a group of 16 people held up letters spelling "public inquiry" and "civil liberties".

The tension that permeated the G20 protests was largely absent, with police on bicycles blocking traffic for the march and protesters playing cowbells and carrying flags emblazoned with images of snakes the the slogan "don't tread on me."

"Two weeks ago, every official in this city and in this country said there will be no public inquiry," veteran activist Judy Rebick told the crowd. "Today there are three public inquiries being called. But it's not enough. We want a full inquiry at the federal level and the provincial level that will point the finger at who turned our city into a police state."

Protesters were angry with the police response to the G20, which saw 1,000 people rounded up in the largest mass arrests in Canadian history, and with the province's giving the police arbitrary search and seizure powers.

Lisa Walter, a writer and photojournalist for Our Times, a labour magazine, was arrested on June 27, near Bloor and Bay streets with two other independent journalists.

"Two of those journalists were threatened with rape and the third was tasered even after he indicated he had a pacemaker," she said.

Ms. Walter added that she was segregated along with other gay and lesbian protesters in solitary confinement at the detention centre.

Saturday's protest wound its way along College Street and down Spadina Avenue to Queen Street, pausing briefly at the intersection where riot police boxed in hundreds of people and held them in the pouring rain for four hours on the final night of the G20 summit.

The police presence at the march was light, with most officers on bicycles and none of the black-clad riot squads that policed the G20 in sight. Officers co-operated with the protest, blocking traffic and keeping protesters from straying onto a streetcar right of way in the median of Spadina Avenue.

The march continued down Queen and Peter streets to Front Street, and finished outside the convention centre with speeches from the back of a truck.

The crowd was an eclectic mix of middle-aged trade unionists, young students, aboriginal people and some who hadn't been to the original protests but decided to attend after seeing images of mass arrests on TV.

Paul Tornello, a 55-year-old IT recruiter, said he had never been to a demonstration before but felt compelled to attend – along with a home-made sign reading "I left my bat and bricks at home and brought my voice" – after he found out police had allowed the public to remain under the mistaken impression that they had arbitrary powers within five metres of the security fence.

"That's big government making an incursion into our rights," he said.

Beth Washburn, a 34-year-old PhD student who punctuated the lively march with the sounds of her alto tuba, said she was so intimidated by the police presence on the Friday of the G20 weekend that she didn't return on the other days.

"The police circled us in and boxed us in," she said.

Andrew Barber, 25, said he and his friends were stopped and searched several times during G20 weekend by police who dumped out their water.

"The options were 'show your ID and submit to a search, or face arrest,'" he said. "They said 'times are changing, boys.'"

The protest ended without incident around 5 p.m. outside the convention centre. Organizers estimated 5,000 people had turned up for the march; police officers at the scene put the crowd at 1,000.

Both the Toronto Police Services Board and Ontario auditor-general André Marin have announced probes into police and government decision-making at the G20, but activists say both are limited in scope and are calling for more wide-ranging inquiries.

Demonstrations were also planned in Halifax, Kingston and Montreal.

With a report from The Canadian Press

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Well a week has passed, and it's time for yet more pressure. Here from Facebook is the call out and schedule for protests happening on the 17th.

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Canadian Day of Solidarity
More Info Background:
In light of the actions of the police during the G20 towards innocent and peaceful protesters, and the fact that the Chief of Police wilfully misinformed Canadians regarding laws passed, we believe that it's time that Canadians all over the country stood together in solidarity and in support of our common civil rights!
For more information, please check out some of the helpful links provided below!

Our Goal:
We want an independent inquiry into the events surrounding the G20, the arrests, the treatment of those detained, etc.
And we want to send the message loud and clear that we will stand up for our civil rights!

How Can You Help:
If you're interested in starting a rally in your city, message a group admin today and we can help put you in touch with other organizers, get your rally details up, etc.
If there's already a rally planned in your city, offer a helping hand, and/or simply grab a few friends and come out to show your support!
Remember, the more people, the stronger our voice. Help spread the word! Take a minute to invite your contacts to the event, tell your friends and family, change your FB status to promote the rally details, hand out fliers, etc.
In the meantime, you can also write to your MP demanding an independent inquiry, write to your local papers to keep attention on the issue, and discuss the issues with people around you.

Planned Rallies:

Bancroft, ON: Starting at Freedom Skate Park ending at MPP Leona Dombrowsky's office.
Event Page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=140353712647224

Barrie, ON: Details pending.

Calgary, AB: Details pending. Volunteers contact: shiloadavis@gmail.com

Hamilton, ON: Event page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=144066552273694&v=wall
Volunteers Contact: hamilton.organizer@gmail.com

London, ON: Details pending. Volunteers contact:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=130628943644457&v=info#!/group.php?gid=130628943644457&v=wall

Montreal, QC: Carré Phillips, Montréal (Coin Sainte-Catherine et Place Phillips)
Event Page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=137427269611275
Volunteers Contact: pennyless.artist@gmail.com

Nelson, BC: City Hall. Event page:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=141432799204439&ref=mf

Niagara, ON: Montebello Park
Event Page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=142452502432092&ref=ts
Volunteers contact: MikkiZaplan@gmail.com

Oshawa, ON: Details pending

Ottawa, ON: Human Rights Monument. Event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=136608409701137&ref=mf

Peterborough, ON: Farmers Market and Trent Radio.
Event Page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=132160730151936
Volunteers contact: cantbeserius@gmail.com

Quebec City, QC: Église St-Jean-Baptiste, Québec, http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=100685483319333

St John's, NFLD: Details pending. Check out: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=135377369814575

Toronto, ON: 1:30pm @ Queens Park, South Lawn. Volunteers contact: jpeg.arjoon@gmail.com
Event Page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=133625160002128

Vancouver, BC: Vancouver Public Library. March to Victory Square.
Event Page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=132175446816777&index=1
Volunteers contact: ashleyrfehr@gmail.com

Winnipeg, MB: Details pending.
Group Page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=134662713223151&v=wall
Volunteers contact: g20winnipeg@gmail.com


**Volunteers are still needed-if you're interested in helping plan any of the above listed rallies, let an admin know and we'll fire off the contact info for the main coordinators. Or, contact the email address listed, if applicable**

Interesting/Helpful Links
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/06/29/civil-liberties029.html
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/torontog20summit/article/829921--i-will-not-forget-what-they-have-done-to-me?bn=1
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/torontog20summit/article/829917--cabinet-secrecy-opens-door-to-legal-challenge
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/g8-g20/toronto/caught-in-the-storm-penned-in-at-queen-street/article1621255/
http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/06/26/two-post-photographers-arrested-at-g20-protest/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/police-admit-deliberately-misleading-public-on-expanded-security-fence-law/article1622864/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/weapons-seized-in-g20-arrests-not-what-they-seem/article1622761/
http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/news/local/article/80075--how-i-ended-up-in-a-g20-jail
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Heb9BXjYcII&feature=player_embedded

CANADIAN POLITICS:
AUTOWORKERS CALL FOR PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO G20 SUMMIT:



More and more civil society groups are joining the call for a public inquiry into the police actions at the recent G20 summit in Toronto. All this while three days ago Conservative members of a parliamentary committee blocked it from recommending such an inquiry. The tactic was simple...keep on talking, and talking and talking until the committee had to adjourn.

One of the most recent groups to speak up is the Canadian Auto Workers' union (CAW). Here's their statement from their website.
AWAWAWAWAW


CAW Joins Call for Public Inquiry into G20 Police Actions


The CAW has joined with dozens of progressive organizations in condemning the curtailment of civil liberties during the G20 Summit and calling for a full, independent public inquiry into police actions in an open letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.

The detention of over 1000 citizens, many of whom were innocent bystanders, has been the subject of intense public criticism levied at the federal and provincial governments in recent weeks in the wake of G20 meetings held in Toronto on June 26-27. Of primary concern is the arbitrary nature in which these arrests took place, the extension of power granted to police in and around the security perimeter, along with the excessive force used by police and unsanitary and unsafe conditions for those detained.

The actions of police and a small group of protestors, unconnected with the People's First rally, and the excessively strong-armed police actions marred what was a very large and peaceful demonstration in Toronto that involved tens of thousands of labour union, student and social justice activists, including hundreds of CAW members from all across Ontario.

Demonstrators, representing a wide cross-section of Canadian civil society organizations and various progressive causes, called on G20 leaders to ensure the issues of decent work, environmental sustainability and action against global poverty were at the top of their meeting agenda, including the need to promote more extensive economic recovery efforts and prevent future economic crises by adopting a global tax on financial transactions.

A large contingent of women activists lead the peaceful march, demanding that Stephen Harper reverse his decision to exclude abortion among the various maternal health-promotion measures that G20 nations will support in developing countries around the world.

CAW President Ken Lewenza, who participated in the demonstration, called the rally a tremendous success. "I'm always inspired by the resolve of our activists who are willing to stand up against injustice and raise their voices to demand a better, more equal and humane world - especially in the face of an intimidating police presence."

Most national and international media attention of the day focused on events that transpired after the peaceful demonstration had wound its way back to Queen's Park, when a small group of protestors and self-identified anarchists were shown participating in acts of vandalism.

A full copy of the open letter can be found on the Canadian Federation of Students website: http://www.cfs-fcee.ca/html/english/campaigns/g20inquiry.php

CANADIAN POLITICS CANADIAN LABOUR:

SEIU CONDEMNS POLICE ACTIONS AT G20:

In the aftermath of the police riot at the Toronto summit of the G20 more and more Canadian labour organizations are condemning the actions of the police in arresting over 1000 peaceful protesters while totally ignoring (encouraging ?) the actions of less than 100 rioters. At last count when Molly looked 41,775 people had joined the Facebook group 'Canadians Demanding A Public Inquiry Into Toronto G20'. Molly wants to reemphasize that this is not just a question of police misconduct. The general security plans for the summit were set by political masters. The concentration of huge numbers of police from various jurisdictions shows this quite plainly. It is also entirely possible that the decision to both bait the Black Bloc with abandoned police cars and to not engage the rioters was a political decision rather than a tactical police decision.

Here's the statement of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) on the events in Toronto.

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Canadians' Civil Rights Trampled At G20 in Toronto
A group, colourfully attired, some in decidedly unmilitant summer dresses and open toed shoes hemmed in at the corner of Spadina and Queen street in downtown Toronto break into a spirited rendition of O'Canada, a moment later a boom, then a line of riot police standing down the group charge forward trampling some and beating others with their batons. It's a searing image that neatly sums up what happened in Canada's biggest city over the weekend - while the world watched.

The lesson here is that when a government spends 1.1 billion dollars on security infrastructure, tear gas, rubber bullets, sound cannons, they're going to use it - and other than the five million dollar fence that went down as quickly as it went up - that infrastructure and the elastic approach to civil rights in this country is likely here to say. After all the spot searches of persons well outside the security zone was routinely witnessed by the nations media, becoming routine and unremarkable by Sunday afternoon.

How did the temporary regulation added to the Public Works Protection Act that covered 5 metres from the security perimeter get extended to the faraway corner of Queen and Spadina? The nation's media failed to ask.

According to the Toronto Star blog that ran live during the G20 Police Chief Bill Blair, challenging and unapologetic throughout, said the people on the corner had three chances to leave, and suggested that any criminal activity was made easier by the complicity of the crowd, ""It's unfortunate some innocent people had to stand in the rain," says Blair. "We had to stand in the rain with them." The deluge, he says, was the "good part" because the rain "cooled their ardour. That's what we wanted it to do."

When asked at a press conference Saturday night about the beating of an accredited journalist by police, Blair ominously suggested that they (The Toronto police) had video of the incident as well. The video by the Real News Network clearly shows journalist Jesse Freeston being struck and pushed backward. When he asked a supervisor on the scene why he was struck the supervisor instead of answering his question instructs the police to "give him another shot" - which they do - several more times.

G8/20 summits are where the worlds rich and most powerful leaders make decisions that affect all of us. The theme of this summit was austerity - a reduction in worldwide deficits that is facilitated by a reduction in the standard of living brought about by decent wages and social programs - as viewed by fiscal conservatives such as Stephen Harper and Jim Flaherty. What has become the brutal routine in the developing world and now underway in Greece - what Canada's G8/20 architect (or parrot?) Mark Carney calls the "canary in the mine" - is all that's at stake at these summits. It's what brings the crowds out.

Downtown Toronto was a testing ground both for what we can expect, and what we'll withstand.