A non vuvuzela event took place this weekend. The G20 or The Group of Twenty established in 1999 to bring together systemically important industrialized and developing economies to discuss key issues in the global economy while simultaneously undermining an already neutered United Nations and deciding the fates of, not just the other nations in the world, but the world. Oh yeah, and diminishing aid to Africa with little fanfare.

What could be wrong with that? Why would people in Toronto, Canada where the event was hosted object to that? Take a minute to imagine yourself as an innocent Canadian protester objecting to the $1 billion price tag for Toronto’s “security”, economic hegemony of a few over many and environmental concerns who is then accosted by the police. If that’s hard for you we have pictures from the whole shindig.

Police in Toronto fired tear gas on protesters for 2 days as new violence surrounding the G20 summit erupted and the arrest tally climbed above 500.

From left to right we have:
1st row: (1) Protester sticks tongue out at police officer after being arrested. (2) Plain clothes officers dash into a crowd and detain a journalist in the rain at the conclusion of the G20 Summit June 27, 2010 in Toronto, Canada. (3) A man arrested during protests at the G8/G20 summits removes his belongings from a plastic bag after being released from a detention center. (4) President Barack Obama watches the US-Ghana World Cup soccer match between G20 meetings, look at those ears

2nd row: (5) A supporter waits for protester detainees to be released from Toronto Detention Centre. (6) King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and President Nicolas Sarkozy of France make plans to do lunch one day and totally keep in touch. (7) Protesters hold a vigil outside the temporary detention centre where hundreds of anti-G20 demonstrators and others were being held and processed. (8) A photojournalist shows the damage done to his lower back by a rubber-coated bullet fired by riot police.

3rd row: (9) Police search through a man’s bag after arresting him. (10) A man arrested during protests at the G8/G20 summits is released from the detention center. (11) Police officers stand on guard during the summit. (12) French President Nicolas Sarkozy gives a press conference at the end of the G20 summit on June 27, 2010. Doesn’t he look like he’s blaming somebody for something?

4rd row: (13) A woman raises her fist in dedefiance after being released from the temporary G20 detainment centre June 27th.

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