Wednesday, June 30, 2010 4:01 PM

I learned that the 519 Official Statement announced that the event was organized by TPS and the Community Police Liaison Committee that is held to celebrate Pride Week.

So, therefore, it is not Pride Toronto who organizes the event. Please check your facts first before you make your statements which most of them are not true above in the previous posts.

I am shocked that the protesters has no absolutely respects for the Safe Space of the 519 for events and meetings held there, which it learned that children were crying for their own safety and fear. SHAME SHAME SHAME on protesters!

For the Official Statement by the 519 is at www.facebook.com/.../10150221000305331#!/notes/the-519-church-street-community-centre/official-statement-the-519-and-the-2010-police-chiefs-reception/10150221000305331

SexyGuy

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 8:01 PM

Hi Sexy: Not sure where you got the impression that it was a Pride Toronto (PT)-organized event. Our initial report quotes a PT official explicitly telling the crowd that it was Toronto Police Service (TPS) event, not a PT event. In fact it was a Toronto Police Services Board event, and a Pride Toronto affiliate event. That means only that the PT logo was printed on the invitations and the event was listed among PT pride festivities. At any rate, the crowd that gathered at the 519 to challenge Blair was, of course, concerned about police conduct during the G20 weekend. And, for the record, PT had nothing to do with policing in the city during the G20. I hope that clarifies. Thanks for reading.

mattmills

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 9:56 PM

Ha ha..leftie self-entitled douchebag scum. You deserved every mouthful of pepper spray, every sore wrist from plastic cuffs, and every thump over the head from a baton. You could have stayed home, but chose to wave a red cloth in front of the bull.

ron

Thursday, July 1, 2010 9:10 AM

I left the cop party and joined the protest. I think the anti -police anger message got though loud and clear. Maura at least allowed the protestors to stay in the foyer for over an hour to chant and vent. Kyle was embarrassed to be "shamed" by his perp walk going out. Blair took the protest with good grace though was a bit smug. It was the most interesting and theatrical cop Pride party in the 10 years it has been going on and I have been to all of them. The raw anger against cops in Toronto for their misdeeds and errors was palpable. Doug Elliot told Ctv that he had "mixed feelings" (As did I) and identified with the protesters (As when he was young and a radical). All in all a very good event and a successful protest!. I told CBC Here and Now yesterday that Blair need to apoligize for the excesses of police and for thire in-action on Yonge St on Sat, and that protest had many very real sad points. Blair is s sysmbol of police axcesses, but he is also a human being and overall (almsot 6 years now) a progressive pro LGBT police chief--and not the least bit homophobic as opposed to some (like the one who told George Hislop in the late 60's that there was "no point in liaisiong with homsoexuals because after all they are just criminals."

james dubro

Thursday, July 1, 2010 3:40 PM

Once again Ron every time someone disagrees with your position, you get into name calling. The police have never been friends of the Gay community. They used a small number of Black Bloc people as an excuse to attack all protesters as well as many people in the downtown core who just happened to live there. Thousands of people with no rights, 100's arrested with no cause. Once a society allows the police to ignore the law, how can they expect others to follow. Chief Blair should be in jail, along with all those who broke the law those who broke windows, and those how ignored the constitution.

Brent

Thursday, July 1, 2010 9:27 PM

The police are not our friends. The police are no one's friend. They are also not to be toyed with during a violent riot as one thousand very young dumb deluded leftists found out. We have the right to peaceful protest. If that protest devolves into a riot, then it's quickly time to go home. There is ample video evidence of queer leftards doing a gay striptease in the noses of straight riot cops and banging on the doors of a shopping centre demanding their "right" to shop. This insane behavior during a violent riot gets no support from reasonable citizens.

ron

Friday, July 2, 2010 7:53 AM

All is not black and white in the world. It isn;t a question of wether cops are our friends or enemies. It is how to deal with misdeeds as after all the cops are public serb=vants who work for us too. I spent 12 years working in 2 liaision commitees with cops and there were times we were avle to have charges withdraw (Bijou case
in mid 90's) by meetings with cops at higher level...And in several cases dialoguge prevented actions. There have been no raids against bars or LGBT places since Blair has been chief. Some very prominent LGBT members are close to him--Brent HAwkes, Kyle RAe and others. This helps the LGBT community. This doesn't mena we do not protest when cop misdeeds are exposed (as onver the smmit weekend)
but ongoing LGBT laision is eessential. One can do both--liaisise and protest-- as there are many, many areas to work on together and some to protest against. Alas, many of us in the LGBT community--including actvisits00do not know our history--especially of the work with the cops in the last 20 years--pioneered by Rae and Hawkes and others--which has been very useful-especially in dicey situation where cops have over-reacted (rmington raid, Bijoy, pussy palace--to name just 3 in my time of liaison). Also there are now openly gay men and women in the force, they have a n openly gay liaison officer assigned to work with the LGBT for the Chief, and many obgoing pisitive interactions. The world is not black and white. An as LGBT men and women we pay the atxes out of which the cops are paid. It is to our great advantage to work with them to solve problems together as we have doen for 20 years while proesting and commenting on from within and without police misdeeds and injustices. We as a community can do more than one thing at the same time and it isn't always just the "good guys" against the bag guys.

james Dubro

Friday, July 2, 2010 9:43 AM

I'd like to comment on the phrase Chief Blair said: Blair replied "Frankly, I don't know and I'm not sure I care."

Isn't it quite rude to do that. I mean you need to have some concern out of the situation also because you're in the position also.

Fta in Toronto

Friday, July 2, 2010 10:35 AM

it was a smug throw away line in a tense situation......stupid but not criminal...

james Dubro

Friday, July 2, 2010 11:43 AM

@james dubro. Thank you for your very sensible comment. It is very refreshing to see a well thought out and reasonable opinion instead of the usual "fuck the police" crap that usually grace the comment section.

bester