Riots in Toronto

[Sharpy Snow]

WHILE THE CAUSE OF THESE RIOTS ARE DUE TO THE G-20 SUMMIT, THIS IS NOT A POLITICS THREAD. KEEP ALL POLITICAL OPINIONS AT THE DOOR NO MATTER WHAT THEY ARE. I MAY BE WALKING THE LINE AS IT IS MAKING THE THREAD BUT I ASK YOU TO LEAVE POLITICS OUT OF THIS AND USE THIS MORE AS A CHECK UP WITH FRIENDS IN TORONTO/WARNING THAT THINGS ARE NOT WELL IN ONTARIOS CAPITAL RIGHT NOW

So yeah, I'm seeing the images of Toronto taking a bit of a beating right now. Starbucks are being smashed up as are police cars. I'm on the bubble here so I'm not even 100% sure what is going on, but considering the London protests last year, I have a bad feeling.

Toronto crappers, are you guys ok? I've got a Canadian friend and shes terrified to go to work as its right near where everything is being messed up

[biafra]

Ungh. I've written and deleted what I've typed a few times but there really isn't much I can say within the rules.

As a person who generally shares the beliefs of these people I do want to clarify that not everyone who shares the ideological views of the protesters here believe that breaking s*** is the best way to bring about social change..


*facepalm*

God damn idiots.

Please note that this has nothing to do with the politics involved. You can agree/disagree/not care with what someone believes and think their tactics are f***ing stupid.

[Sharpy Snow]

Aparantly theres a police car on fire right now.

This is not going to end well at all...


I've told my friend to just not bother going in to work today. She's terrified enough right now, never mind how she will be if shes in the middle of it =/

[biafra]

This puts in better than I can. Take it away Jello...



www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGSlZoz6jWI

[Seth Drakin of Monster Crap]

I approve of the right to protest, but you should never riot.

[biafra]

Even if it were morally okay it's just a stupid, stupid tactic.

Not only are they doing NOTHING to bring about the world they want to see, they are harming their own cause by allowing people who don't know any better (and some who do but will use it anyway) to equate "us people who share these beliefs" with "a bunch of young jackasses in black masks breaking shit."

Seattle 99 is a perfect example. At first everything was peaceful. News orgs from around the world come out and were actually listening to what people had to say. Then the Black Bloc f***heads put a USA Today newsrack through a Starbucks and THAT became the lasting memory..not the cause.

Word can not describe how much this infuriates me.

[Sharpy Snow]

Larger commerical places such as Starbucks and McDonalds appear to be the primary targets.

A random twitter post: "I hear people say we're headed to Dundas Square. Everyone walking north on Yonge St; the goal of reaching the fence has been abandoned, seemingly."

And some random Twitter images:
twitpic.com/207lxz
Police car on fire

twitpic.com/207evk
One of the Starbucks windows and doors are smashed

On a lighter note
twitpic.com/207i0a
Some protesters are being a bit more cheeky then violant

[Sharpy Snow]

Eaton Centre is now aparantly on Lockdown as rioters break windows on their way to it.

[Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!!]

f***ing pathetic. and they wonder why nobody takes their views seriously. acting like a bunch of f***ing children. no matter how much merit your views have, pointless destruction does nothing to make your views seem sympathetic.

[Sharpy Snow]

"A female protester shouted “f-you” in the direction of the Zanzibar strip club, then smashed its window with a baseball bat.

Protesters then began tearing down the letters on Zanzibar’s sign one by one.

They also smashed windows of American Apparel, sending mannequins spilling into the street; protesters began ripping the mannequins apart."

[Curt Hawkins Fan]

I've been looking for a good vacation spot but can never find a place due to high prices of hotels.

Maybe now I can use this passport for once.

[Sharpy Snow]

thestar.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341bf8f353ef0133f1deed9b970b-600wi
"Protesters created a big hole in a display window at DeBoer’s, the high-end furniture store on Yonge just south of College. An employee approached the hole and yelled “Stop it”; protesters yelled back, “Move back, honey. We don’t hate you, we just hate the company you work for.” She complied. Protesters also smashed windows at the nearby Bell store, then ransacked it and threw cellphones into the street."

[ani]

Jun 26, 2010 15:39:59 GMT -5 Sharpy Snow said:

An employee approached the hole and yelled “Stop it”; protesters yelled back, “Move back, honey. We don’t hate you, we just hate the company you work for.” She complied.

Yet if she didn't, they probably would have hurt her

[biafra]

Jun 26, 2010 15:41:09 GMT -5 ani said:

Jun 26, 2010 15:39:59 GMT -5 Sharpy Snow said:

An employee approached the hole and yelled “Stop it”; protesters yelled back, “Move back, honey. We don’t hate you, we just hate the company you work for.” She complied.

Yet if she didn't, they probably would have hurt her

I firmly believe 99% of the people there would never hurt anyone intentionally.

The problem is situations like this get out of control and people get hurt no matter how much you wish they did not.

Yet another reason it's a dumb tactic.

[Bang Bang Bart]

It's a friggin' joke. These damn protesters are just making complete asses of themselves.

[Jay Peas 42]

This is why summits need to be held in inaccessable corners of the Swiss alps.


Where are the Tsar's horsemen when you need them?

[erisi236]

Yeah destroy those Starbucks guys, that'll show em.

It'll show em what idiots you are, but it will show em something.

[peltier]

I thought us Canadians would be better than this.

[Jay Carroll]

Jun 26, 2010 16:17:54 GMT -5 @peltier said:

I thought us Canadians would be better than this.

Idiotic protesters know no nationality.

[Sharpy Snow]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwzXRkFe9U4

Language warning: F-word said a few times.