Alternative Comics G20 is almost out of Toronto

After a long week of random interrogations and a heavy handed police presence the city of Toronto finally hit the protest in the streets this weekend. Though I’d seen nothing intimidating whatsoever from any protestor the imbeciles in black eventually showed up with vagrant and violent force. By Saturday night three cop cars had been ignited and some windows were smashed by small groups of moronic macho imbeciles under the guise of political cause. The television had a field day and I felt like I was living in a war zone, until I turned it off and went to see things for myself. The streets were certainly quiet but the bars were open and people were about. There was shopping on Queen West only a block from the flaming auto. The city was not in nearly as much of an uproar as the images made it seem and I could quickly gather that they were isolated and not reflective of the whole.

 The majority of the crowds were simple, musical and peaceful but the minority of vagrants simply put everyone at high risk. The cops stepped up security rounding up over 600 people who were mildly detained in makeshift prisons for a brief time. ( I bet they are all honoured by the capture and boast merrily about how much better they are than those who didn’t get caught). I saw cops arresting regular partiers as well as peaceful protestors which only helped make the matter more extraordinary in reports. However there was little excitement in the actual streets were most people stood apathetically in jest holding camera’s/ Lokk at the press footage twice and you’ll notice that the aggressive clips total in a number less than 10. Primarily the same two or three incidents were recycled over and over giving the effect of mass hysteria when the crazies were but a few. The other note worthy analysis is that in each scene of violence the crowds are not rowdy only spectators and the cops are nowhere to be seen. For all the billions of dollars spent to irritate Torontonians all week nothing could stop the all-mighty black-bloc-heads. In fact only a single report of the police preliminary actions fruited the seizure of questionable weaponry.

 I myself was searched four times but they never found a thing. On top of that the police, as frightening as the tele makes them look, seemed scared, confused, and disorganized bubbling around bothering innocent civilians. Even in their large grouped black line ups of sheild, clubs and helmits, I could see that they were people and some of them appeared baffled. Others seemed over zealous but either way they have a lot of brainwashing to do before these guys can hold their ground with the telepathic observer. Nevertheless the small, insignificant and utterly useless acts of violence have not only turned the politicians into heroes but they have initiated an argument for the induction of a military state. If you are trying to fight the NOW, wearing Halloween costumes and acting like the Prime Minister’s puppet is probably not going to help. In the short time after the cop car burned the arrests tripled and I saw with my own eyes that many of them had nothing to do with aggression or even protests but the detainment of innocent civilians was now justifiable in light of the idiots dressed in black.

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Alternative Comics G20 from the streets...

HEY APATHY! ALTERNATIVE COMICS

Today was a very quiet one in the neighbourhoods and main strips of downtown Toronto. The G20 has reaped a previously unheard of force of police security and surveillance through out the streets. Over the past few days I’ve encounter and been interrogated by numerous bike police. There are unmarked vans circle around all the parks and cop cars every few minutes. The city has really slowed down as both noticeable decrease can be scene in both pedestrian and automobile traffic. Today however was entirely uneventful. I strolled around and read in the park and not once did I witness or encounter any signs of official intervention.

There was, of course, for the first time this week a scuffle resulting in one of the most grotesque slapping noises I’d ever heard as a fist flew sluggishly, yet all powerful, into the face of an unsuspecting target. The two had been play fighting but the game obviously had escalated. It appeared to be over when the hard cheap shot came. Admitingly I’d taken alarm to these folk nearly an hour earlier but assumed that local security would get them first. I also knew half way through the fight exactly what was going to happen when the playing was done. These guys wreaked of trouble, though not in any relation to the protests of the summit, but alas there wasn’t a sole cop to be seen. I suppose the rally got out of hand because the foot patrol so demonously overwhelming Kensington and surrounding areas patrol of late was clearly called to another location…

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ALTERNATIVE COMICS G20 lock down

HEY APATHY! Alternative Comics

The temperature is heating up and so is park security for G20. The city is under lock down in order to protect the palace summit. Yesterday was rainy and thus very quiet though on Monday I found myself surrounded and questioned on several occasions by bicycle officers dressed entirety in black. Today was unusually hot and humid and I once again encounter numerous of Toronto finest enveloping thee parks all around my neighbourhood. In fact there is such an unusual air about that I was reluctant and specific about which book would come with me to the park. The volume I was carrying on my last encounter had provoked several inquiries so as that I felt best not to carry anything that could be considered radical. Sounds silly but I really didn’t feel like ending up in detainment so I brought Dostoevsky which was the least subversive in appearance so that I could read and feel safe.

This time however was very different and far more intimidating. Sitting in my usual spot in the grass preparing to read my book I noticed an oddly inconspicuous unmarked van with tinted windows making a poor attempt to reverse park down trafficked one was strip. I thought it was funny to see the police officer behind the wheel struggling as the passing driver honked and threw curse words without realizing who he was yelling at. Before I could enjoy the humour of the parking situation the entire end of the park was consumed by nearly identical vans differing only in a choice between three dark colours. It was frightfully dreadful to be sitting with a book in the shade of the park while the perimeter is surrounded by swat teams and fenced off by unmarked vans.

It became difficult to read as various conversations between the officers and several regular park goers were at first rather loud. The tension ceased almost instantly and turned pleasantly casual as the officers were only stopping for lunch. Some of them made jokes with the citizens but mostly they ate regimentally and silently and often unseen. One by one the van doors would opening revealing small packs of cops and then someone would carry out there waste. They all wore black sun glasses and despite some bubbling very military in motion and vanished near as quickly as their surprising arrival. It turned out that a small protest had broke out in the large park across the large road from this one so their was little attention paid to those of us who’d been target back on Monday. Now the cops had some real villains. A group of hippie protestors waving paintings standing in the park. I walked by on my way home for lunch and saw the vagrants and vandals there must have been about 20 of them surrounded by thrice as many officers. I doubt anyone got hurt.

My studio was to hot for working even with the conditioner and two fans, so I went back to the park to finish my book and wait for the sun to settle. There were no signs of any officers on the main strip or throughout Kensington but when I settle down on the grass I noticed someone peculiar. There was a van on the corner only this one had decals advertising some obscure moving company. The driver was in a blue uniform and cap but his darkly shaded glasses seemed strangely reminiscent of the brigades fashion from the morning. He must have sat for an hour before starting to circle the park. He passed me about ten times before resigning to another spot. It was during his second rest that a few people started to smoke reefer and play their guitar not far behind me and not far from the van’s open window.

Sure enough within seconds there was a herd of bike cops flying in from unseen corners yelling “Who’s smoking the pot!” Whoever it was saw them coming because the smell vanished simultaneous with the invasion. However a couple of teenagers who just happened to be strolling by were horded, searched and questioned because one of them was wearing an anti-G20 t-shirt. The kids had a whole bag of the shirts and were going to sell them at the protest but the cops scared them good and the youth zipped up a hoody before he was freed. A hoody over the t-shirt in the hot and nasty humidity.

I was fortunate enough to have this entire affair to occur only two feet behind me. I pretended for a second that this was a normal part of life and attempted to keep reading. I was interrupted by a hovering officer who proceeded to interrogate me. I’ve gotten my response down now thanks to experience and was able to relinquish his suspicion with a single sentence. These guys were not funny, nor did that treat any of us like people as the other soldiers had, and I could sense that they were bored and blood thirsty with out any prey to satisfy their hunt.

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ALTERNATIVE COMICS Castle G20

HEY APATHY! Alternative Comics

CASTLE G20

Today was a very unusual day in the city of Toronto as twice I found myself by questioning patrol officers in pack of ten or greater during my routine morning coffee and sketching in the park. There had been two people protesting the recently constructed and gated G20 Palace Castle in our city. Prior to my own encounters I witnessed the group of officers oversee the removal of a large artwork which the twp protestors had sprawled out across the park. They then proceeded to confiscate the PVC piping the extremists had planned to erect their message with. For the record it was a 20 x 30 foot painting of a waterfall surrounded by nature.

Following the mild incident the police decided to then interview me as I also looked hideously suspicious with my books and sketchbook. I was , as always dressed entirely in black, a device which keeps this ink artist from the perpetual and obvious destruction of my clothes. At any rate these apparently totalitarian bullies turned out to be quite human. It took only a few quick responses to ensure them I was of no threat (pretty sneaky). The crew surrounding me then starting to take notice of the image in my sketchbook which I have posted above. “Wow” one said and several other compliments followed so I shared with them my explanation of the comic. “The city is built like a Castle and the sewers are the surrounding moat” I said and the officer leaning in closest replied “oh yeah and there is all the people, the sheep being herded to work” . These officers then told me that the people with painting weren’t really any trouble and asked me if I’d noticed any other activity of note over the last few days. I hadn’t and they left friendly but possibly determined to find some of the fabled violence which is expected this week in our city.

Not five minutes later a second sector of the same crew arrived but having seen my discourse with their colleagues were far less inquisitive. In fact, in one of the most surreal moments of my existence, the entire circle of officers rode up on their bicycles, looked at my drawing and in unison all leaned back with exclamations like “Cool” or “look at that“. In was just like a crowd of kids on the streets only they were all six feet or larger and in uniforms of black. These guys enjoyed the story and made jokes that I should be commissioned to do a portrait of the of the officer who had the most obviously jested expression and large spaced buck-teeth. As they prepared to ride away another pointed to the creature and asked if it was the mayor?

So intrigued by the unusually aggressive presence of the police I thought it might be interesting to stroll around the city. The streets all seemed normal and the security only above average. There may or not have been more official vehicles but the Banks were visibly guarded by security which I have never noticed before. I went to the art store located beside the A.G.O. (enjoyed the giant Barbara Krueger Piece on the gallery’s exterior) and set out through a different park on my way back home. Here once again I was halted by a large crew of police.

This park was much larger and proportionately protected. Like giant black flies on bikes the cops were buzzing all around so much so that you couldn’t look off in any direction without seeing them. And sure enough they surrounded me and began a similar enquiry to the one I’d heard back in Kensington. I explained to them, in good spirits, that I’d already been through this once and that I lived in the neighbourhood, was shopping, and not of any consequence. The officer figured me out in an instant and relaxed apologetically. He told me that wearing all black or the color red throughout the palace summit would attract unwanted attention in the parks. They where all to be heavily patrolled over the next week or so to ensure that no protests developed out side if the regulated zone. Isn’t that nice we have a regulated zone for protesting. Anyways I told them that I had no intention of causing any trouble and that I hoped they would not have to deal with any. The entire troop of at least 20 officers thanked me sincerely and I couldn’t help but sense they were really surprised and honoured by my concern well wishing.

I marched around a few more streets before heading home including my old spot where I performed on Queen Street West. The only peculiar thing around and about the city seemed to be that the shoppers were out in full force. There is a definite energy changed in Toronto because of palace politics but it would appear that we have channelled it into a commercial frenzy. I expect I’ll have more experiences to share about this tomorrow….