Reflections of Saturday: The Toronto G20 Protests

The past weekend I witnessed downtown Toronto turn from one of the safest cities in North America to a near police state with mobs of people clad in black, faces covered, brandishing hammers, makeshift metal bars, spray paint, and war cries, all in the name of protest. The chaotic rumble plaguing what began as a very peaceful, coordinated, cooperating protest rally will no doubt be the red ink stain that blemishes the rightful, intended message of the groups protesting at the 2010 Toronto G20 Summit. I was there on Saturday the 26th, documenting what I saw with my camera, trying to provide introspection of what I witnessed. It was quite the experience, though I'm not quite sure if that is for all the right reasons. I'm sure those reading have been following the news and are quite familiar with the shocking turns the weekend took, though I hope to provide a unique, first-hand perspective that major media organizations can not.

Born Ruffians @ Phoenix Concert Theatre, March 14 2010

 

I never really listened to Born Ruffians much past that catchy "ah, ohh a-oh" song that seemed to be everywhere, even a Skins episode. Well, they put on a fun enough show at the Phoenix. In fact, it was very fun. Despite flagging with a bit of a lame album, their catchy two-step song skills made a really great night out of an otherwise forgettable band. Thanks for the mam'ries guys. Unfortunately their musical prowess wasn't enough to prevent the sag that was my girlfriend's wallet getting stolen at the show. It was eventually found, but it's the sort of thing that really impedes the whole "positive concert experience" deal.