reporting on the madness

Forgive my language, but this city is a paranoid control freak's wet dream right now. Harper must be ecstatic. Helicopters whap ceaselessly overhead, and the downtown streets are full of cavalcades of cops and private security guys, carrying not only guns but riot control gear and helmets. This morning, I went for a bike ride down to the security fence, to find the inner core of the city is a desert built of fear. Chain link fences set in concrete cordon off many of the streets around the conference centre where the leaders will meet, and at each check point, there are dozens of cops standing around, drinking coffee. In fact, I think that Tim Horton's is the sponsor of this summit, since its profits must have gone through the roof, as well as the hotels in the vicinity, crammed with out of town police.

The "Star" has an article today about the costs, pointing out that the summit in Pittsburg in 2009 used 4000 security personnel, and ours is using 19,000, nearly five times the number. Why use one cop when five will do? Lunacy. Criminal lunacy.

I'm going to hop on my bike again right now - there's a gathering at Allen Gardens, I think. Your junior reporter will go and check on the scene. Over and out, for now.

An hour later ... well, if you want a definition of the words "motley crew," go to Allen Gardens right now - every kind of protesting person is there, including someone from PETA in a seal suit, the Raging Grannies in their flowery clothes and hats covered with buttons, singing protest songs, Native groups, community groups, unions, anti-poverty activists, anti-racism activists, anti-sexism activists, anti-Harper activists (One sign: "Harper is a neo Nazi"), some kind of band with tubas, and four hundred million policemen on bicycles ringing the park, and others inside, not to mention how many there must be in plainsclothes. And the helicopters. I feel safe, knowing that I'm being protected from the Raging Grannies. Many thanks, Security people.