2010 g8/g20

[Kitdy]

Dunno if anyone else really cares, but these next few days will see the leaders of the most powerful countries on Earth centre in on Southern Ontario; the G8 in Huntsville, and the G20 smack dab in the middle of downtown Toronto.

This is gonna be fun for all those in Toronto. The security fence is up, the highways are gonna be shutdown, the police are out in force - I saw tons of cops yesterday at work, and got a my last look at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre before the whole shindig commences. The city is gonna be in total shutdown - apparently drives home from the downtown core have been ridiculously easy the past few days simply because people have fled Toronto - vacation, worked from home, whatever.

A big chunk of downtown is gonna be shutdown this weekend when the G20 gets going. The major highway that leads across the southern edge of the city (by the lake) is shut as of today I believe. The event is expected to cost over 1 billion Canadian dollars (i.e. 999,999,999 USD - wooo Canadian economy!) and I don't think that;'s factoring in productivity losses.

There are gonna be all sorts of protesters. The city is gonna be in absolute chaos. It's gonna be an exciting and frustrating time for Torontonians - I will watch the nightly news for once to see the images - reading the news doesn't do this sort of thing justice.

What say you guys?

[coolieman1220]

Dunno if anyone else really cares, but these next few days will see the leaders of the most powerful countries on Earth centre in on Southern Ontario; the G8 in Huntsville, and the G20 smack dab in the middle of downtown Toronto.

This is gonna be fun for all those in Toronto. The security fence is up, the highways are gonna be shutdown, the police are out in force - I saw tons of cops yesterday at work, and got a my last look at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre before the whole shindig commences. The city is gonna be in total shutdown - apparently drives home from the downtown core have been ridiculously easy the past few days simply because people have fled Toronto - vacation, worked from home, whatever.

A big chunk of downtown is gonna be shutdown this weekend when the G20 gets going. The major highway that leads across the southern edge of the city (by the lake) is shut as of today I believe. The event is expected to cost over 1 billion Canadian dollars (i.e. 999,999,999 USD - wooo Canadian economy!) and I don't think that;'s factoring in productivity losses.

There are gonna be all sorts of protesters. The city is gonna be in absolute chaos. It's gonna be an exciting and frustrating time for Torontonians - I will watch the nightly news for once to see the images - reading the news doesn't do this sort of thing justice.

What say you guys?

i can't say toronto's police force does a very effective job maintaining order. I was at Caribanna last year and might go again this year. The police do a terrible job controlling the crowd, even with 8 foot fences. Here in NYC, we use a 4 foot fence and people arn't scaling it and flooding the parade route...

[wwgkd]

Nothing that happens in Canada can possibly be of importance.

Been watching this, actually. Noticed China bowed (sort of) to global pressure over revalluing or floating the yuan in anticipation of this.

Been fairly curious to see what the protests are like too. I don't think Canada gets many Riots so it should be interesting to see how police handle the situation.

[Vindesh17]

The city is not going to be absolute chaos, stop exagerating. I was downtown today to check on my condo and it was dead quiet. I know the next few days could indeed be worse but nothing of significance in relation to protesters is going to happen. Only if those rowdy americans come across the border to protest.

[coolieman1220]

hmmm, 500 arrests? hmmmm

[taz_rocks_miami]

The sad part is that after this meeting between the most powerful countries on earth, the world is gonna remain the same.

I feel sorry for you guys in Toronto if things are gonna get crazy in the next few days. But as far as things like the G8 and G20...big fat hairy deal.

[Ferrer]

After seeing in the telly the problems it has caused in Toronto these days, I can safely say I want no G8/G20 meeting in Catalunya.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

The meetings themselves aren't the problem - for the most part simply impotent talking of "important world leaders".

The problem is the anti-globalisation, anti-capitalist douchenozzles who find self gratification and expression from smashing in shop windows and spitting and fighting with police.

Newsflash to these nozzles; the only, ONLY reason you are even remotely allowed to carry these acts out is because you are in a democratic country where the police are professionals. You live comfortable lives in the middle-class bourgeois with your Apple macbook and iPhone, and have very, VERY little to complain about, let alone complaining about a system that enables your comfortable, consumer driven lives.

Pull your head out of your own ass, treat the police with respect and stop ruining it for the people who actually just wanted to protest world hunger, poverty and the poor. You know, the ACTUAL issues.

Thankyou for listening to my rant; here is a Cookie for your time.

[Kitdy]

That was fun. Was just watching the National on CBC to get my roundup of what the G20 actually did and what to see hippies get beaten.

Sweet.

[wwgkd]

Cookie?

But yeah, the only solution V V V

[faksta]

Ahah. I thought it is a thread about Ginettas.