City
Toronto's G20 fence in photos
There's been much made of the recent start of construction on the G20 security fence in Toronto. But, lacking a good conception of its size and breadth, I decided to mosey on down to the area around the Metro Toronto Convention Centre to see what I could find out about this thing. As it turns out, I got a pretty good idea for how intense the police and security presence will be.
Police officers were on every corner and already a certain tension is palpable downtown. Though the police and construction crews were happy to let me snap pictures, I was being eyed by countless cops throughout the duration of my visit.
While looking at the massive fence I couldn't help feeling that I was in some sort of war zone. And, judging by the height and extent of the whole thing, it's clear that a lot of people seem very afraid. But not just the security forces tasked with protecting the world leaders coming to visit -- residents of this city aren't used to such drastic security measures on such a wide scale.
Detailed information about the preparations for the summit, along with a map of the security perimeter, can be found here.
Photos (captions underneath):
Bye, bye bike racks.
Construction crews work on fencing south of Bremner on Simcoe.
Try getting a shot from here once the summit begins.
A small indication of the growing police presence in the area.
One of the many entry and exit points along the fence on Windsor Street (which one will require ID to pass through in the coming weeks).


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Should be surreal.
One day we will all wake up in a totalitarian nightmare if things continue on the fascist path they have been on. People laugh and scoff and throw around terms like paranoia or conspiracy theory. Basically dismissing the possibility of the things being warned of could happen - "No, not here". But things have changed since 2001 and complacency, inertia and fear have allowed the dismantling of our very rights. I mean, c'mon, we have basically accepted the idea of a "free-speech zone" as acceptable? I'm sorry, the Charter tells me the whole nation is a free-speech zone and I won't be convinced by weak arguments about a few idiots who use the opportunity to cause trouble since they are the minority and the so-called "freedom-loving" governments often do far worse than break a few windows.
why dont they just build a facility deep in the artic or something and meet there? i bet it wouldn't even cost a billion.
death is certain, when its time, its time. no amount of fences and barriers will prevent that from happening.
what do you call a gathering of 20 scared as f U C K idiots who can't do a damn thing right in this world? do a web conference or something!! this is the 20th century for fk sakes! geeezzz
But why the hell didn't they just do the whole shebang up at Deerhurst!?
That's the most perfectly Zen response to this stupid security freakout I've read so far.
If anything, we should just protest the security B.S. itself in a calm, peaceful, and even fun and laid-back manner.
I think you may need to go back and take poli-sci again... We are definitely not anywhere near to being fascist! our conservative government is practically socialist with a blue ribbon.
I heard they're going to CG that in later.
Check em out here:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/293153
I've shot things there before without a problem from security, so I don't know whether the security cameras are new or not, and if they are new I'm betting they'll stay past the event. I'd expect this the week of the event, not two and a half weeks before. Maybe someone was worried we were planning to put piranhas in the fake lake.
Jeez, basically you can't take photos down there at all. Even though it's not technically illegal, the cops give you so much trouble that, in practice, it's not allowed.
ironic that its being spend on unemployed, time wasting, scumfucks then.
They pretty much interrogated me and took my ID and information as well.
Apparently even before the summit, taking pictures is borderline illegal.
Continue with your lives, nothing to see here.
People were detained and search without due process.
The rights of the citizens in the city come before the rights of big business.
They aren't going to have to live here after the smoke settles and the broken-bones heal.