we watched this weekend’s siege of our city just a spectator, to both the movements and the mayhem. cocooned in our guilt within canada’s paradise, that great north, the two cents of an armchair worthless by all accounts. in truth, being left to witness what went down through a screen gave the whole thing a surreal, manufactured feeling. reminiscent of hollywood, as it were. glimpses of a town familiar, masked in an alien narrative. the backdrop of a made up land.
what’s undeniably real is that we returned to a city that feels as different as it’s looked these past days. to say otherwise clearly means you have yet to see this, or this, or this. it feels sad. less innocent, less hopeful. it feels traumatized, grim reminders everywhere that it’s not as much ours as we’d have liked to think.
all eyes are at once on canada, the quiet force sitting in wait with his magic tricks. oil. water. land. lumber. air. where we see canada’s most darling, harper sees big fucking bank. so he takes the world’s most powerful figures (figureheads fingerpuppets) to one of our country’s most glorious geographies (lest we forget the world just saw the other) to talk shop. then he corrals a few more of ’em downtown (ignoring mayoral recommendations it take place at the ex, which already has a wall) and instead heads straight into the heart of our city. the heart of this country’s (strong) economy. cha-ching. showoff.
meanwhile, how to remove those stubborn curiosities, those inquisitive concerns of the world’s citizens about what’s actually being discussed at this roundtable. what’s being dealt on our behalf. how about purposely inciting mass exodus (the potential accounts of the lawyered up) then purposely enticing mass destruction? vandals left to run wild through the streets for 90mins on day one (fires burning, media’s trojan horse) justifies the ludicrous 1.2billion dollar spend. getting tough the next day (denying rights, detaining unlawfully, assaulting verbally physically sexually the peaceful people) shows the world we aren’t going to play so nice anymore.
along with a call for public inquiry, brasandranties calls for the upgrade of harper’s strategist. the whole thing was just for show. public relations. advertising. and transparent, at that. the fiasco was simply a brand repositioning. canada land: timid no longer.
perhaps what the institutions didn’t bank on was the force of the collective, the voices involved each with their own turn at the megaphone. timid no longer. we have a feeling stories will keep coming keep coming keep coming. and we want to know: what actually happened here this weekend, and why. and who’s fucking canada is this anyway?
Anonymous says:
I don't think the whole thing was merely just for show B&R. I think it's to be expected that as a member of the G20, you are to hold the summit at some point and time to show your countries commitement. Everything always doesn't boil down to a "brand" or "brand repositioning". I wonder what brand I am, or you?
AOK says:
While yes, it is the role of each G20 country to take their turn with hosting duties any idiot (other than Harper) must recognize that the middle of downtown Toronto is not the appropriate location for such an event.
Mayor Miller (who trust me, I am not a fan of either) suggested the CNE since there is already a wall erected and it wouldn't disrupt the lives of hundreds of thousands of Torontonians. Fact of the matter is that this was Harper's F-You to Toronto, a city he doesn't care for at all.
One of the best things about Canada is the amount of space we have EVERYWHERE…. To cram an event like that into the busiest city in the country (the centre of finance, which then had to have over 75% of its workers off because of the G20 disruption) is plain stupid and thoughtless and all that BS about tourism, and showing off the city… that's all it was — BS because you don't actually believe Obama and co. were sightseeing around our great city as cop cars were burned and stores were destroyed do you?!?! The only tourism came in the form of the Black Bloc who travel the world to appear at these summits with the only intention of causing destruction and chaos.
xobolaji says:
posting this on my facebook page for what it's worth. thanks for the pov. xobolaji
Anonymous says:
you said that "we returned to a city…it feels sad. less innocent, less hopeful. it feels traumatized"- B&R
I mean come on, people are happily going about their business now in Toronto. The weekend riot was this city's first, so we are now in a new league with L.A, Paris, Chicago so it gives us more cred. The sqweegie kids and anarchists couldn't handle anarchy because if there were no police and they smashed a window at a retail store, the owner would just shoot them dead
Bryan says:
might i remind you it wasn't just squeegie kids and anarchists. It was intellectuals, academics, bystanders, people who are unhappy with just sitting in front of their computers and televisions and being told how to think. These are the people that got lost. The people the media, the police, the politicians forgot.
Don't insult me by lumping me in with a SMALL group of angry people. I was unlawfully detained, by believing in one thing, that as an informed person, as a canadian citizen, and most importantly, as a human being; I have the right to speak about the issues that worry me, to expect proper representation by my elected officials (even though I didn't vote for Stevie), and can do all fo that peacefully without being violent or having violence afflicted on my person.
Queen and Spadina will never be the same for me due to "Black Kettle Sunday". The film studios, will never look the same. Queen's Park will never be the peaceful spot of demonstration and relaxation it is meant to be. Perhaps to those who watched everything from their condo windows, or their TVs, the city seems normal. But everywhere I look I see the ghosts of shattered hopes, shattered beliefs, and on every person I see, a cold disintrest in anything important.
Anonymous says:
"…and on every person I see, a cold disintrest in anything important." -Bryan
And you speak of not wanting to be lumped into a "SMALL" group of people? Riiiiiight.
Bryan says:
I am simply stating that the experience has left a mark on my attitude. Created a colder, angrier self. It was traumatizing and it will take a long while for the anger to subside.
But the ignorance I read in the papers, on forums, and see in the street, and the attitudes many of the public has, only fuels that anger/