WHY DID THE POLICE BUILD A DESIGNATED RIOT AREA?
While we’re all aware that Queen’s Park was designated a free speech area (until the peaceful protesters there were dispersed on Saturday) the erection of the fence and the no-go zone effectively designated the downtown core as the official riot area. I know it’s cliché but if you build it, they will come. If you don’t want a riot then do not host it in an area that allows for a successful riot to take place. By hosting the event in the middle of downtown and setting up the perimetre nearby, G20 organizers and security forces essentially told rioters this is the area you can trash. While this may seem far-fetched, Police Chief Bill Blair said as much to Marcus Gee in the Globe and Mail on Sunday. Gee wrote, “Chief Blair said that police feared the protesters would try to draw them away from the G20 security zone. That may explain why officers did not pursue the protesters on their smashing spree. Better to see some windows broken, they may have reasoned, than engage in running battles
