July 22, 2010 — The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) filed 78 individual public police complaints with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) today. OIPRD is the civilian agency tasked with accepting and investigating complaints about police policy and the conduct of police officers in Ontario.
The CCLA has called on OIPRD to conduct to launch a full review of G20 policing in general, and of the abovementioned conduct in particular, under s.57 of the Police Services Act. The CCLA has also called on OIPRD to exercise its full powers under Part II of the Public Inquiries Act, R.S.O. 1990, Ch. P.41 in aid of this investigation. In light of the strong public interest in the issue, the CCLA believes that, as part of the systemic review, opportunities for public deputations on G20 policing would be appropriate.
Read the CCLA’s Letter to Gerry McNeilly, Independent Police Review Director of Ontario, regarding our five institutional complaints and 78 individual public complaints, dated July 22, 2010
The 78 individual police complaints complement and add to the 5 institutional police complaints that the CCLA filed on its own behalf regarding G20 policing. Those complaints related to give specific incidents which, in the opinion of the CCLA, involved abusive or unlawful police conduct. These include:
(i) the dispersal of peaceful protesters at Queen’s Park on the afternoon of June 26;
(ii) the detention and mass arrest of individuals on the l’Esplanade on the evening of June 26;
(iii) the arrests and excessive use of force by police outside the Eastern Ave. detention centre on the morning of June 27;
(iv) the detention and mass arrest of individuals at Queen St. W. and Spadina Ave. on the evening of June 27; and
(v) the conditions of detention and the deniaof due process rights at the Eastern Ave. detention centre throughout the weekend.
Read the CCLA Systemic Public Police Complaint Regarding G20-related policing, dated July 15, 2010.
Included below are exerpts from the 78 individual police complaints filed by the CCLA on behalf of members of the public:
CONDITIONS IN THE EASTERN AVENUE DETENTION CENTRE:
Sara M., Age 25: “Once in the building, the cops eventually let us out of the paddy wagon and put us into what would be the first cage of a total five cages that I was put into during my time being “detained.” There were more than 20 women in this cage. There was no access to water. Police refused to give us tampons. There was no door to the bathroom that faced hordes of mostly male police officers as well as prison buses full of other prisoners. If a woman had to use the bathroom, we took turns making human walls so to block the view of the police. I had to change my sanitary pad with handcuffs on my hands, as did any woman who was on her period at that time. More disgusting was the fact that we had to beg for pads, and it was often only female police officers that would listen to our pleas. On each porto-potty in the detention centre there was a sticker that read something to the effect of “no more than ten people should use this toilet in a 40 hour work week…if this occurs, the toilet should no longer be considered sanitary.” Obviously, since there were tens and tens of women using the washroom for hours and hours, without access to running water or soap it was unsanitary.”
Benni S., Age 23: “We ask politely if we can have water and are ignored. We do this again and again. Eventually we start getting angry, 30 men in a tiny cage without water for almost 8 hours now. We hear other people asking for water[...] At around the 8 hour mark all hell breaks loose. Everyone is screaming for water, rattling their cages. I’m screaming too. We’re all BEGGING for WATER! Most of the cops I see just laugh at us and walk away. What is wrong with these people?! How could they do that? Finally after god knows how long of begging for water my cage is brought some water. They were wheeling it around in a big blue jug and had tiny little Dixie cups. [...] Maybe an hour later we got our breakfasts. A tiny little bun with a slice of soy-cheese and margarine. I didn’t even notice the margarine, I ate like it was the best and worst thing in the world. At that moment it was. They made me beg for food and water and the thing that made me feel completely sick was that I was thankful for the small amounts that I got.”
Elijah F., Age 34: “I was asked some questions from the same Officer who interviewed me earlier. I answered and then told her I was experiencing difficulty breathing due to pain when I inhaled. The Officer instructed the Custody Officer to take me to the medical tent. The doctor examined me did a E.C.G. and said I have bruised or broken ribs, Gave me two Advil and informed me that I would be there for quite a while and said when I need more Advil I should let one of the Custody Officers know and it would be provided to me. I never received any more Advil despite the fact that I asked many times.”
MASS ARRESTS ON THE ESPLANADE, SATURDAY JUNE 26, 2010:
Matthew B., Age 32: “At no time did I hear that the assembly had been deemed unlawful and at no time did I hear an officer command the group to disperse before we were “kettled” into the front area of the Novotel Hotel. [...]T he police stated that once the property damage began (presumably they are speaking of the incidents on Yonge St. and College St. hours earlier) all protests were deemed unlawful assemblies. This view of unlawful assembly was explained to me by an officer standing next to my arresting officer while I tried to understand why I was under arrest, and a staff sergeant at the detention centre. The officer at the Novotel, when asked whether this included the entire downtown area, stated “yes, all protests”.”
Philip B., Age 33: The arrests began at this point. Again, there was no statement to disperse. Small groups of officers – three to four – stormed the middle ground to remove single individuals and return through holes in the police line, which would quickly reform around them. The first few arrests involved protestors sitting in the street. By this time many of the onlookers were clearly panicking and some crying after realizing the situation they were in. Snatch squads continued picking people off one by one. Arrests were very indiscriminate. Onlookers began to be arrested, myself included. Four officers grabbed me while standing in the entrance of the hotel and pulled me behind the east line. I was held against the wall and searched for sharp objects. At some point during the arrest I sustained a black eye though I do not remember this actually happening. [...] My wrists were cuffed to the back with flex cuffs (that an officer later acknowledged were far too tight when removing them with difficulty) and ankles in steel shackles. Approximately 20 others and I knelt on the street as per police commands. I shuffled my feet and kneeling position over the next 20 minutes to keep my lower legs from becoming sore but stopped when a petite but extremely aggressive TPS officer screamed that I would be face-first into the road if I didn’t sit still. Eventually my arresting officer (Name: Brown, Rank: DC, Badge: ####, Unit: D43) searched my pockets, catalogued and bagged my property, had me photographed, and loaded me onto the waiting prisoner van. Flex cuffs on wrists exchanged for steel handcuffs cuffed to the front.
MASS ARRESTS AT QUEEN AND SPADINA ON JUNE 27, 2010:
Name withheld, Age 25: “I want to make it perfectly clear that I was NEVER informed by anyone – riot cops or their superiors – to leave the intersection [at Queen and Spadina] or be arrested. No one around me was informed of this. I know this because we were all asking each other what was as going on. Before I had a chance to leave, they (the riot cops) had already blocked us in the intersection. They never gave me – or anyone around me – a chance to leave. In fact, I overheard a riot cop supervisor giving orders to the riot cops in front of me, saying that if any person comes near them, they were to arrest them for assault.”
Samira M., Age 34: “I am the owner of a restaurant on Queen Street West in Toronto. We approached Queen and Spadina at roughly 5pm and stopped on the north east corner to get a hot dog when all of a sudden we noticed riot police approaching from the north of Spadina and Queen and they began to move south all the while yelling MOVE to people. At the same time, riot police began to corner people from the east and west of Queen Street; essentially kettling everyone into the main intersection. [...] I notified an officer of the TPS that I am a restaurant owner and that I am on my way to work with my employees and that I need to open the restaurant. I was told that “well you should have thought of that before you came here stupid” – to which I replied – “I am on my way to work and you are illegally detaining me and my workers” – to which he replied – “we can do whatever we like now move.” [...] “While standing in line waiting to be processed, the officer described in this note told me in no explicit terms, while I was speaking Persian to my sister that – “YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK THAT LANGUAGE “ – to which I replied – “I WILL SPEAK WHATEVER LANGUAGE I LIKE”.
Name withheld, Age 37: “Drenched, 5 or 6 us (females) were loaded into a Court Service Van and transported to the outer limit of Toronto with no access to washrooms, food and water. Once again, none of us were protestors. One was shopping, one was observing, one was having coffee, one girl in particular claimed to have no money, lived outside of Toronto and seemed unaware of the G20. We were driven close 30 – 40 minutes away from downtown. Once we were stopped, an officer opens the door and advises us we have arrived and we can go home now. A detainee advised the officer that washrooms were needed. He acknowledges this, but closes the door and leaves. Several minutes later, he returns and asks “How many have to use the washroom?” Most raised their hands and he replies, “That’s too many” and closed the door again. At this point, I advise the women next to me that my period had started. Several minutes later, another officer returns and asks “Who has to go the most?” It was decided ‘me’. I was escorted into a police station by a female officer. I asked for a feminine hygiene product, but was denied. I asked where I was, she advised Scarborough. I asked where in Scarborough and unfamiliar cross streets were given. I advise of this and ask for directions back home, I was advised of the bus stop at the top of the street and then was encouraged to move along or I would be re-arrested for loitering. [...] I wanted to go back in and use the phone, as mine died, maybe inquire about my partner, or call a cab, wait inside, anything. I felt so traumatized by this ordeal, that I didn’t feel safe to go back to the police station and ask for assistance. I remember their warning “Move along or you will be rearrested for loitering!” I proceed in an unsafe neighbourhood, late at night, in the rain with no bus fare to the bus stop shelter.”
Brandon M., Age 28: After waiting for about 20 minutes in this circle of cops it began to pour rain. We waited… and waited… and waited… for them to receive their orders, whatever they may be at this point. A riot cop spoke up and said “You are all being charged with conspiracy to commit mischief” at which point we were already in shock and terrified. After an hour and a half in the pouring, freezing cold rain, some people began to cry again, as the circle got tighter and tighter. A riot cop then told one of the people “If you go up and surrender yourself, you will get out of here faster”. At this point my girlfriend and I are terrified, as we have heard stories about tear gas, and rubber bullets already being fired elsewhere during this “event”. As we held up our hands in the pouring rain with our identification in our hand we walked toward the front of the crowd. At this point people had already been “snatched” out of the crowd aggressively, We waited about another 20 minutes and were summoned to come forward. [...] While I was in the fake handcuffs which were plastic ties, they began to hurt my arm. While waiting in line in the pouring rain waiting to be boarded into a court services police van, a gentleman behind me complained to the police of his ties being too tight. Upon hearing this, I heard what sound like 3 or 4 officers pulling him from the line, threw him to the ground, and proceeded to be violent with him, also while I was in the line up I overheard a riot officer say to a plain uniformed officer beside me “yeah the Queen’s Park bust went well, I even got to beat on a few people. It was fun”. To which I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and neither could the Ottawa police officer that arrested me. After we waited in a lineup in the rain for 45 minutes to an hour, I was told to take off my shoes and hat. I then stood in the rain with no shoes in sock feet while shivering for another 10-15 minutes in the rain. After I was put into the van, another man was put in the same “cell” with me. Along with two guys to the left of me. We were all talking and each one of us were not in any way protesters or demonstrators, and were on our way somewhere when all this happened. We sat in the handcuffs in the van for about 2 hours, with no idea of where we were going or what was happening.
CLEARING OF PEACEFUL PROTESTERS FROM QUEEN’S PARK ON JUNE 26, 2010:
Name withheld, Age 43: “I was at Queen’s Park South with a group of approx. 150 protesters. No group was wearing black and the crowd was milling around and sitting on the grass. I was not even at Queen’s Park as a protester. In fact, I was working as a field producer for a photojournalist with Zuma. A line of police officers blocked three sides of the intersection at nearby College and University. [...] The police were hitting protestors with batons including myself. I have three fractures in my right hand as a result which was diagnosed by an orthopaedic surgeon at Cleveland Clinic Canada on Bay Street. I was attempting to move away from the scene and at no point was I resisting.”
Kyla S., Age: 29: I was present in Queen’s Park on Saturday as a human rights monitor with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. I was paired with another human rights monitor, Jon Pipitone. We joined the march walking from Grosvenor St. to the south side of Queen’s Park. A crowd was standing on the lawn outside of the legislature buildings, and on the road. They seemed peaceful, and quiet: there was no chanting and people were simply standing and facing the line of police. The police, dressed in riot gear with visors down, formed a long line spanning from the buildings on the east side of the park across to the west side, two deep, with many many others behind them. There were no audible warnings given. Police would dash out in groups of 10 to either grab individuals or to force the crowd back all along the police line. Two individuals were grabbed and dragged behind police lines near us, but we couldn’t see what was happening to them other than that they were forced face down on the ground. Mounted police also charged the crowd. We continually heard people muttering statements of disbelief, or yelling to the police asking, “Why are you doing this?”, or “This is a peaceful protest!” We heard no response. The line of the police advanced by walking and running towards the crowd, banging their batons on their shields. The crowd was forced north around the legislature buildings. [...] As the line advanced, we could hear officers repeatedly yelling, “Please clear the park!” and banging on their shields with their batons. Again, people were calling out to the police saying, “This is the designated protest area, why do we have to leave the park?” and generally voicing their right to peaceful protest and that they shouldn’t have to be forced to leave. The police continued to advanced slowly, stopping every so often. One officer in the line had his gun raised and pointed at the crowd. On the east side of the park, there was a larger crowd being forced northwards as well. The crowd was pushed out of the park in this fashion, and when they reached Hoskin Ave, started marching west and eventually up Devonshire Rd to Bloor St. Following was a line of officers in riot gear, three deep, and mounted units with visors down. What was most troubling was the excessive use of force and intimidation tactics used by the police on a group of utterly peaceful citizens. Not only were these citizens peaceful, they were exercising their right to protest in the area designated as a “designated speech area” by the police themselves.
ARBITRARY SEARCHES:
Pragash A., Age 26: “A young man and I were unlawfully detained by 3 male police officers The other protestor and I were detained as we entered the men’s restroom of the Tim Horton’s. I did not personally know the other young man though he seemed to be an activist. We were questioned and searched. When I asked to leave the washroom I wasn’t allowed to leave. When we asked for a reason and the police officer’s ID number we were threatened with having our “teeth kicked in”. We were forced to wait while the police checked our IDs in the system. [...] Nothing caused the interaction beyond the fact that we were young men going into the washroom. The manager of the Tim Horton’s was upset at having his ordinary customers harassed and frightened by the police.”
Name withheld, Age 30: “Sunday June 27th around 12 midday, I got to the intersection of Queen and Yonge (north west corner) and was walking by a group of 6-10 police officers. I was walking towards the Eaton center to do some shopping when one of the officers said “hey, come here”. He said he needed to search my bag, I gave him the bag and asked if he was allowed to do this, just randomly search my bag. When I asked this he got visibly upset and said “put your hands on the wall”. He asked me if I was resisted him to search my bag with a very intimidating tone of voice as he held me by the forearm with added pressure and said to put my hands on the wall. I said “no” simply out of fear of being arrested even though I knew my rights. [...] I said, I know there was a protest yesterday, but I’m just going to the Eaton center. I wanted to ask for his badge number or name but felt very intimidated based on his respond from me previously asking him if he was allowed to just pull people off the street and search their bags. [...] I knew what my rights were, but apparently I had none that day.”
