A little something I penned on request, in response to the recent police inquiry in my hometown-to-be.
When it comes to deciding who is responsible for ‘The G20 fiasco’, one thing is for sure. Nobody is sitting on the $9.4 million fence.
According to David Olive at The Toronto Star, the whole debacle has been especially damaging for Toronto’s reputation because, “Canadians have enshrined civility as our defining national value”. Perhaps he did not have journalists in mind. Whether accusing the police of “misguided and unnecessary” actions (Peter Worthington, National Post) or reproaching Premier McGuinty for his “foolish puffery” (Alan Parker, Toronto Sun), everyone seems sure that they know who is to blame and is saying so in no uncertain - or civil - terms.
‘Squinty McGuinity’ has come under heavy fire from all angles. Antonella Artuso, also writing for The Sun, quotes his admission that Toronto was a poor choice of location for the summit: “Let’s put it this way, if the prime minister were to sit down and say can we host another G20 summit in Toronto, I think we’d all say we’ve been there, we’ve done that and thanks very much.” Perhaps even less flattering is the fact that Toronto Life just can’t work out what he is saying: “Reviewing his statements in the press, we’re not sure exactly where he stands.”
The journalists are even turning on each other. David Harris at The National Post complains, “We give audience to Canadian journalists who confound us by stumbling from one relativistic noun to another in confused attempts to be neutral about those wanting to kill us.” However, he believes that it is years of democratically-made decisions that paved the way for the actions of last fortnight: “We citizens have elected, appointed and rewarded those who have all but telegraphed the message that it is open season on public order, peace and stability.”
Further indignation was stirred by the story of peaceful protestor John Pruyn, who was left without a leg to stand on after police reportedly yanked off his prosthetic limb. But despite the mass of horror stories, Marcus Gee at The Globe and Mail points out that in fact, “81% of Torontonians think the police did a good job.” Furthermore, the Toronto City Councillors voted this morning to thank the police for their efforts in a motion that eventually passed 36-0.
Perhaps in an attempt to press forward, the G20 Seoul Summit revealed their new logo - a “guiding light” - along with their English website. And that’s not the only G20-related online action of the day. Digital Journal announced that a new website allowing civilians to share their experiences of the protests is being set up. Behind the initiative is documentary filmmaker Liz Marshall, who was inspired to start the project by her own experience of the protests and the media reaction that followed. The site, which launches later this week, can be found at www.therealg8g20.com and members of the general public are being invited to submit content.
Whoever becomes the scapegoat, or better, stands up and takes responsibility, McGuinty’s own take on the current situation is accurate: “There’s got to be a better way.” 
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