BLOG: Shooting the G20 – Was Monday’s first official march in downtown Toronto a taste of darker things to come?

Not sure yet what the G20 Summit will bring to Toronto this week. But I hope to walk around the city each day and see what photo opportunities present themselves and write up a daily blog on the impact this huge event is having on the city and it’s peoples.

One obvious photo op every one is chasing is the inevitable showdown between police and protesters. When I decided to check out the first “official” G20 demonstration in Allan Gardens (or “community mobilization” as the protesters like to call it) I didn’t expect a small gathering of demonstrators, police, and media on a beautiful day in the park would spill out onto the streets in the first dramatic displays of the effects of the G20 Summit on the city.

The march and demonstration was relatively peaceful today. The protesters probably numbered at best 200. Number of police, at times, seemed to almost match that. But I did wonder if this demonstration today marching through the downtown core was ten or twenty times larger – I sensed their would have been some destruction and trouble.
Day started out easy enough. By the called for 2pm start-time, police and media outnumbered the protesters
It’s when the demonstration started their move to a march that it became interesting for police and media
At first, it appeared the police were not letting the demonstration march out of Allan Gardens. Protesters talked, cops relented, media recorded.

Thought it was interesting how the police used their bikes to create a make-shift fence and route the protesters.
The protest briefly occupied an Esso gas station at Dundas and Church streets. I was surprised that cops NEVER went into the store and intervened.

Yonge st.
Reporters ended up getting their shots. Reporting LIVE! from a protest!
Showdown! at Sherbourne & Dundas st. Protesters wanted to continue south, police forced the route west onto Dundas st.