Don Tai (Canada) Blog

My neighbours and I disagree about the means used by Toronto Police in order to maintain order in Toronto during the recent G20 Summit. We all agree that 1) those that damaged property should be charged and punished, 2) police had a difficult task, 3) peaceful protesters in the crowd should have done more to prevent the Black Bloc from doing damage, 4) Toronto Police broke the laws of Canada in illegally searching and arresting bystanders, 5) The Charter of Rights and Freedoms was infringed upon for those that were arrested. What we do not agree on is if the actions of police were correct, given difficult conditions.

Queer comes to mind when talking about the case of grocer David Chen. A known thief, Anthony Bennett, steals flowers from Chen’s store. This is caught on video. The thief returns less than an hour later. Chen and two workers hold the thief for police. Mr. Chen is charged with assault and forcible confinement. All charges for the thief are dropped. This is morally wrong and a perversion of the law. Thieves should not be able to steal and get away with it. How simple can this get? Explain this to a 4 year old and s/he would easily understand, yet Toronto police struggle with this issue. It is no wonder when people refuse to cooperate with police.