Charles Xavier
29th June 2010, 15:18
Defend the right to peaceful protest! For a full, independent inquiry
into police repression now.
Young Communist League of Canada Statement on the G20 Demonstrations
and Police Riots
On the weekend of June 26-27, 2010, the leaders of the top 20
capitalist economies met to devise an agenda for the interests of
private demand (i.e. the very rich and major transnational
corporations) including halving deficits by 2013. This translates into
increasing the burden on, and cutting public services to, working
people -- since neither will corporate profits be taxed more, nor will
the military spending on wars be cut.
Over 30,000 people from across Canada (particularly from Quebec and
Southern Ontario) and the world -- involved in the labour, womens',
aboriginal, youth and student, migrant, environmental, international
solidarity, socialist, and many other movements -- peacefully
demonstrated against this criminal agenda. Most were able to
participate from start to finish united, without any incident or
attacks.
This democratic right and necessity to protest should have been
enjoyed by all demonstrators. However in the last few days peaceful
protesters as well as journalists, legal observers, and by-standers
who had no involvement in the protests have been subjected to a police
riot.
The mainstream media has endlessly played images of isolated
incidences of mayhem, where the police were absent, occurring not
because of insufficient security budgets but in spite of the $1
billion that should have gone for education, health care, and public
services at a time when many are suffering from the economic crisis
that is not over.
Police had refused to provide assurances that they would not use
provocateurs, despite being pressed on this point by Ontario
Federation of Labour President Sid Ryan after such agents had been
exposed in the 2007 demonstrations in Quebec against the so-called
Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP).
What has been ignored is not only the main peaceful demonstration
organized by the Canadian Labour Congress and Ontario Federation of
Labour, but also the orgy of police violence with rubber bullets,
indiscriminate mass arrests, acts of physical assault and
intimidation, and night-time arrests of people simply sleeping in
student residences.
Even corporate media personalities such as Steve Paikin have tweeted
that the police assaults were more frightening than war zone reporting
from Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, Lebanon, and Israel (Palestine).
Youth and students, Qubcois, as well as people of colour are being
disproportionately targeted and need our support at this crucial time.
The Young Communist League stands in solidarity with and calls for
on-going mobilizations against the G20 agenda and to support the
rights of those who continue to be subjected to police harassment.
We support the Communist Party of Canadas call for an full and
independent inquiry into the police repression and the development of
these operations by the Harper Tories, McGinty Liberals and Toronto
police chief Blair.
The unleashing of the police on protesters and by-standards alike is
an attack on our democratic rights, an attempt to demobilize us while
we continue to be robbed by the G20's capitalist agenda.
Witness statements show that it is sufficient just to be young to be
arrested and beaten, regardless of having no connection to the
demonstrations. Baseless arrests have occurred not just in Toronto
but as far as Vancouver. We demand an immediate end to police
violence and a full public inquiry into police brutality, infringement
on our human rights and where these repressive orders came from.
For many youth this is a time of new and renewed radicalization which
demands leadership that will challenge the capitalist ruling class's
assaults with a movement for socialism.
Issued jointly by the Central and Ontario Executive Committee's, Young
Communist League of Canada
www.ycl-ljc.ca (http://www.ycl-ljc.ca/)
into police repression now.
Young Communist League of Canada Statement on the G20 Demonstrations
and Police Riots
On the weekend of June 26-27, 2010, the leaders of the top 20
capitalist economies met to devise an agenda for the interests of
private demand (i.e. the very rich and major transnational
corporations) including halving deficits by 2013. This translates into
increasing the burden on, and cutting public services to, working
people -- since neither will corporate profits be taxed more, nor will
the military spending on wars be cut.
Over 30,000 people from across Canada (particularly from Quebec and
Southern Ontario) and the world -- involved in the labour, womens',
aboriginal, youth and student, migrant, environmental, international
solidarity, socialist, and many other movements -- peacefully
demonstrated against this criminal agenda. Most were able to
participate from start to finish united, without any incident or
attacks.
This democratic right and necessity to protest should have been
enjoyed by all demonstrators. However in the last few days peaceful
protesters as well as journalists, legal observers, and by-standers
who had no involvement in the protests have been subjected to a police
riot.
The mainstream media has endlessly played images of isolated
incidences of mayhem, where the police were absent, occurring not
because of insufficient security budgets but in spite of the $1
billion that should have gone for education, health care, and public
services at a time when many are suffering from the economic crisis
that is not over.
Police had refused to provide assurances that they would not use
provocateurs, despite being pressed on this point by Ontario
Federation of Labour President Sid Ryan after such agents had been
exposed in the 2007 demonstrations in Quebec against the so-called
Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP).
What has been ignored is not only the main peaceful demonstration
organized by the Canadian Labour Congress and Ontario Federation of
Labour, but also the orgy of police violence with rubber bullets,
indiscriminate mass arrests, acts of physical assault and
intimidation, and night-time arrests of people simply sleeping in
student residences.
Even corporate media personalities such as Steve Paikin have tweeted
that the police assaults were more frightening than war zone reporting
from Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, Lebanon, and Israel (Palestine).
Youth and students, Qubcois, as well as people of colour are being
disproportionately targeted and need our support at this crucial time.
The Young Communist League stands in solidarity with and calls for
on-going mobilizations against the G20 agenda and to support the
rights of those who continue to be subjected to police harassment.
We support the Communist Party of Canadas call for an full and
independent inquiry into the police repression and the development of
these operations by the Harper Tories, McGinty Liberals and Toronto
police chief Blair.
The unleashing of the police on protesters and by-standards alike is
an attack on our democratic rights, an attempt to demobilize us while
we continue to be robbed by the G20's capitalist agenda.
Witness statements show that it is sufficient just to be young to be
arrested and beaten, regardless of having no connection to the
demonstrations. Baseless arrests have occurred not just in Toronto
but as far as Vancouver. We demand an immediate end to police
violence and a full public inquiry into police brutality, infringement
on our human rights and where these repressive orders came from.
For many youth this is a time of new and renewed radicalization which
demands leadership that will challenge the capitalist ruling class's
assaults with a movement for socialism.
Issued jointly by the Central and Ontario Executive Committee's, Young
Communist League of Canada
www.ycl-ljc.ca (http://www.ycl-ljc.ca/)