G20 Police Arrest Buses Full of Protestors

Jul 8, 2010

G20 Police Arrest Buses Full of Protestors

 I was inline to be arrested next, a female riot cop came for me. I asked that my hands not be tied behind my back as my shoulder shockets, arms and spine are very damaged.  She escorted me through hundreds of police officers behind the lines and told me I wasn't being arrested because of the power-wheelchair.

I was given a lecture on protesting and having legal help phone numbers written on my arm as advised by the Toronto Mobilization Network, whom I had also called earlier, when it was clear we had been purposely blocked in and they were starting to arrest people one by one.

I had been there to film the Critical Mass Bike riders hoping for a more peaceful day, having had enough display of police brutality the day prior at Queen's Park.  The Critical Mass Bike Riders finally showed up with Protestors with them, I was willing to document that as well as I had the day before.  Main stream journalists behind the line of Police were not treated like this, and some were telling the spin from police that protestors and innocent standers by had been violent, which they had not.

I was left in the pouring rain in my power-wheelchair
for several more hours  between Richmond and Adelaide Street.

Streets and subways blocked (the subways were blocked the day prior as well),  watching bus after
bus being loaded with arrested Protestors taken to the Detention Center, more than are seen in this video.
Hours later, when the rain subside abit, but not stopped,  I found a downtown hotel room which was not easy, most were taken for those coming in for the G20 or tourists pre-booked. The room beside mine was guarded by plain clothes police, two, a woman and a man, one who helped me into my room.  I wondered who they were guarding.

I did what I could to get my body dry and warm and my clothes, without much sucess until the following morning. I  fell a sleep for a few hours and upon waking I called a Wheelchair taxi and finally made it home.