G20 protesters recall an indelible experience

Indigenous activist groups kept their cool and stayed focused on the messages they wanted to convey at the G20 protests that took place on the streets of downtown Toronto in the last weekend of June.

One Native organization said their strategy was to maintain open communication with police and keep the peace.

Harrison Friesen, founder of Red Power United, a self-described Native rights movement, said he made it clear to Toronto police that his group of 150 protesters would be carrying drums, banners, and sacred items so there would be no surprises.

“We were used as a positive example that week, and were also congratulated by the Toronto City police,” said Friesen through a social media network.

Friesen and followers chose to march on all four days of the G20, which brought together the world leaders to discuss the global economy. However, June 24 was the day that most Indigenous groups gathered and marched. Many followers referred to it as the Indigenous Day of Action.

It was reported that approximately 1,000 protesters in support of Indigenous rights marched along University Avenue chanting and singing.

The protest that eventually convened at Toronto City Hall was peaceful and without any alarming events; however, the following three days were much more chaotic and put police officers on guard.

“I feel those that took part in the riots on the 26th made the rest of the activist and protesters look bad and only incited the police to commit further violence on the following days,” said Friesen, referring to G20 rioters who vandalized public property, set a police cruiser on fire and contributed to the pockets of pandemonium.

Many First Nations had a specific agenda of voicing their perspective on the priorities of Canada’s Conservative government.

Sub-par education for First Nations children living on-reserve, environmental issues, and unresolved issues surrounding First Nations treaties and land claims are amongst the list of topics that Friesen believed should be on the summit agenda.

Ben Powless, who helped organize the protests for Defenders of the Land, a network of Indigenous communities and activists around the country, felt Prime Minister Stephen Harper should devote as much resources and attention to First Nations issues here in Canada as he spent on the G20.

“In Canada, we haven’t even dealt with the issue of missing and murdered Aboriginal women,” said Powless.
The Native Women’s Association of Canada has tallied the number of Aboriginal women who have either gone missing or murdered at almost 600.

Harper’s government has received some criticism for spending associated with the G20. Both the G8, which was held in the days before the G20, and the G20 cost more than $1 billion.

Regardless of how much effort Powless and other protesters put into peaceful protesting, many suffered consequences from violent rioters.

On June 27, Toronto police made over 600 arrests of protesters who were deemed a threat or associated with any of the destruction of storefronts and other properties. Police outfitted in helmets and shields were on one side of a standoff.

Powless was one of the 400 people arrested on June 26 at The Novotel Toronto Centre, during a massive protest of over 10,000 people in downtown Toronto. Powless, who took hundreds of photos of what he witnessed during the four-day protests, said he and many of his friends remained peaceful but were still targets of law enforcement.

“I witnessed a few of my friends, who were there peacefully, grabbed by the police without any provocation,” said Powless.

Held in a detention cell for 20-hours, Powless said he was shocked at the treatment many of the protesters were subject to. Many were eventually released without any charges.

“A lot of people were denied the right to legal council,” he said, referring to those who were told they could not call their lawyers. Powless, who is originally from Six Nations, added that he witnessed women being denied tampons and toilet paper.

Regardless of the success behind the Indigenous Day of Action protests, some First Nations who continued to spread their message in the days following June 24 feel their rights were pushed aside during the four-days.
Dana Wesley, 25, who is from Moose Cree First Nation, was arrested on June 27.  The Queen’s University graduate student said she was shocked at the reasons behind some of the arrests made that day.

“I was detained for having a bandana in my bag, goggles, vinegar, and a few things to protect myself against police oppression on a peaceful protest, which seemed to be happening a lot that weekend,” said Wesley, who travelled to Toronto with friends to stand-up for Indigenous sovereignty.

Wesley was detained at the intersection of Queen and Noble and shared a cell with several other protesters.
“I was in a cell with a minor who was arrested for writing peace signs on the sidewalk with chalk,” said Wesley, who was eventually released without charges along with the 17-year-old.

Security tactics for the G20 received scrutiny the days following the protests. On July 9 it was reported that the Ontario Ombudsman André Marin will investigate a regulation that gave police officers broad powers to search and arrest persons near the security perimeter who failed to identify themselves and state their purpose for being in the area.

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has called for a public inquiry into the general police response during the weekend of the summit, referring specifically to the arrests made and the treatment of those who were detained.

Powless worries that too much damage has been done and that others who may be interested in joining future Indigenous protests will be turned off from the events that took place at the G20.

“It scared people away…It was a very traumatic experience for a lot of people,” said Powless.