YET ANOTHER POLICE SHAME ON CANADIAN HISTORY

The article in today's Waterloo Region Record is titled "Toronto police board agrees to $16.5 million settlement over mass arrests at 2010 G20". Ten years of court proceedings and negotiations with the Toronto Police Services Board have resulted in the settlement of a class action lawsuit against the Toronto Police Service and the Police Board. In my opinion, in a truly free and democratic society, every senior police officer making disgusting decisions at the Toronto G20 summit and each and every Police Services Board member would spend some quality time behind bars. Then and only then might those filth begin to understand what it's like to be arbitraily thrown in jail based upon at a maximum peacefully protesting and at a minimum simply living and working in downtown Toronto and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. ..................................................................................................... The mass arrests of over 1100 people were the largest and nastiest in Canadian history. Citizens were surrounded (kettled) and held by riot police spme for four hours during a freezing downpour only to eventually be arrested, and thrown into third world detention facilities lacking food, water, bathrooms and heat. Some citizens were attacked and beaten by police. The fact that both the Police Services Board and the Toronto police spent taxpayers money for ten years fighting the class action lawsuit instead of owning up to their contemtible, illegal behaviour is a testament to their lack of ethics and morals. ..................................................................................................................... This behaviour by Toronto police was repugnant but far too typical of attitudes fostered by bad training and decades of minimal transparency and accountability. Even here in Waterloo Region, senior police officers are far too willing to throw people in jail for peaceful protest if there is a political aspect to it. This especially includes our school boards (WRDSB) and their incestuous and inappropriate relationship with senior Waterloo Region Police management. The legal system (police & courts) are seriously in bed with local taxpayer funded power brokers (i.e. biased) and it needs to end.