G20 - getting shot in front of my building #Novotel #Esplanade Demonstration

- the protesters showed up on my street to demo in front of the hotel next door so I grabbed the camera and started shooting.

- you can see that they were noisy, but otherwise behaved

- look up and you can see hotel guests in the window cheering them on

- to the left (east) and you can see a dozen riot police line up... protesters sit down and chant 'peaceful protest'

- to the right (west) reinforcements start to spill in and take formation - that was my queue to go inside as they arrest indiscriminantly

- as i head in you can see the squad yell once then move forward... as they move they start shooting pepper-filled plastic bullets at me and the other residents who were just hanging out in front

- inside people are coughing and shaken - last bit is an account of what happened outside the building

You can see the same scene shot from above here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-BPl8PTrho
Notice the police were nowhere near the protesters and shot at innocent bystanders.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Novotel
• Esplanade
• G20
• Toronto
• Protest

[TDIO2JETTA]

You better look at your video a little closer. At the end the guy in the blue shirt said an idiot was throwing things & police ignored him but arrested & shot at peacefull protesters. When will you ever learn? These guys are always in back or the middle where police can't get them. Until you push these people up to the front where police can see them you will never have a peacefull protest.To the innocent bystanders STAY OUT OF THE WAY! Until police develope 360 vision in front-beside are game.

[funknastic]

@TDIO2JETTA - nobody was throwing anything... we were at least 50 yards from the nearest protesters. see rentcompass' clarification. Also, please do not demonize protestors - some day you might feel passionate enough about something to take a public stand and speak out in defense of it... and hopefully on that day you won't have any authorities busting your head over it.

[drutter]

Pepper filled plastic bullets? Can you elaborate?

Great footage. I love the "peaceful protest" chants, and the cops' response which was to shoot, beat, and arrest as many as they could. Great work guys, really glad I spent $1B paying for you to do that. :(

[funknastic]

@drutter They were like paint balls except filled with a powder version of pepper spray... i recall reading a description of these in the news... this is why everyone is coughing as they scramble in. The next morning we still had the powder marks on the walls of the condo building... took some snapshots to be sure.

[sherrieanne09]

THE REASON THE POLICE STARTED TO ARREST THE PEOPLE WAS BECAUSE OF THE VIOLENCE. If the violence didnt happen, then neither would have the arrests. People are so naive and caught up in themselves. The police could no longer identify who was who so they took it upon themselves to find out. I guess you shouldnt have been anywhere near the protests if you didnt want to get in trouble. Do you honestly think the police were arresting everyone cause they could? no?

[funknastic]

@sherrieanne09 don't kid yourself.... police were so pissed about their burning squad cars that they arrested 900 people when it was all over.. many of them bystanders. But don't feel bad for them... feel sad that nobody's rights, including yours, are guaranteed in this country.

[vkamenskikh]

I was side standing at Novotel hotel.

Police blocked the street and arrested everyone, hundreds of people.

After spending 23 hours under arrest,

mostly in a cage 10x20 feet with 40 people in it on a concrete floor, I want to crash windows myself.

It is a police violence, not people's. This is why they are protesting.

[logannat]

@vkamenskikh I was also detained in the facility after being arrested at Novotel. I was never given any opportunity to call a lawyer or a loved one. I was there for 14hours+ and my partner was there for 24+. We were just photo-journalists.

[YamiPoyo]

@TDIO2JETTA That was a black bloc a cop who in civilian clothes tries to incite riots in peaceful protests to give the riot cops reason to arrest.

[paulfornasier]

@sherrieanne09 IDIOT! Did you actually watch the video of the Black Bloq...the one uploaded by The Secret Store? They followed them around for an hour and a half....through dozens of city blocks...and the Police did absolutely NOTHING to stop them. YOu can see the Police less than a block away at times. They got to Queen's Park and removed their black clothing...and only then did the Police move in.  IS that a farce, or is that a farce?? You are an IDIOT to believe the fucking authorities.

[Skullbird11]

Protesters only have themselfs to blame, thats my opinion.

[NicosNicosNicosNicos]

"If you're harmless they pick on you, if you're like, aggressive, they avoid you!" sounds consistent with all I've heard and read on it so far.

[TDIO2JETTA]

Hey sunshine I did my protesting in the sixties and seventies . One thing I learned is that there is always someone or small group who ruin it for the people who there and passionate for a real cause. And as I said until you push them to the front of the line you will never have the peacefull protest you desire. Also read some of the comments below there are people who are only there to test authority so they can scream civil injustice.

[deetardeded]

@sherrieanne09 I was arrested there. There was absolutely NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO VIOLENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RSCII]

@sherrieanne09 You are a fool and a braindead moron. You have been brainwashed by the corporate-controlled-fascist media, that attempts to portray these brave men and women are violent and radical. Numerous documents have been released that clearly show the governments inserting their own "Agent Provocateurs" who are responsible for most of the violence. The fact remains the people have a RIGHT to assemble and protest. 1 billion dollars was spent to further expand the emerging police state.

[RSCII]

If the citizens of Canada or any other western so-called "Democracy" had any brain - they would join these brave and just protestors by the millions. Anyone who does not see this is a fascist-controlled police state needs their head examined. This is ALL about destroying free speech and the will of the people to join in and demand change. If the government fears the people, there is liberty - if the people fear their government, there is tyranny.

[rentcompass]

I am the guy in the blue shirt,while walking The Esaplande off Chruch st heading back to the condo building, I did NOT see anyone throwing anything at the police nor behave violently. I walked the side walk next to the hotel; that's when I got boxed in & got fired at w/ pepper plastic bullets for no reason what so ever, i wasn't even with the protesters. What I said "police didn't go after the idiots who were responsible for the destruction earlier that day"

It was a black eye for democracy.