There has been a lot of media exposure centered around a few (five I believe) burning cruisers. Now, we could discuss to what extent that was angry demonstrators and to what extent it was a police action or set up – but in relation to the numerous charter violations that occured this weekend that discussion is in fact irrelevant. A burning police car is not violence against a person, and neither are the smashed windows on Queen or Yonge street.
The vast majority, and perhaps the totality, of violence that was done against persons this weekend was in fact committed by police – and almost universally committed far from any vandalism, and against people who were not involved in any vandalism. Further, even if the violence had been committed only against individuals who had been committing vandalism, this is not excuse for the threats, the charter violations, and other forms of maltreatment individuals were subject to in police custody this weekend.
Evidence of police brutality, charter violations, and sexual threats against female persons is mounting and has begun to be exposed even in mainstream media. The first thing I would encourage you to read is LexGill’s account of the conditions in the detention centre. This account corresponds with Jesse Rosenfeld’s account (a journalist covering the G20 summit for the Guardian), and the accounts of friends who were detained.
These accounts, unfortunately, pale in comparison to Amy Miller’s accounts of repeated threats of rape while in a cell at the detention centre. She also saw numerous young women strip searched by male officers (against protocol).
Only a Northern Song 