Posted by Richard Budman on Thursday, June 24, 2010 · Leave a Comment
My Thursday of G20 week in Toronto started out with an early morning run around Queen’s Park. As soon as I got on the street this morning, I could already tell things seemed much quieter than a normal Thursday in the city. Traffic was much lighter.
But I could already see a huge police presence around Bloor & Avenue road and especially, around Queen’s Park. Many groups of 6-8 police could be spotted strolling around.
I wasn’t really planning to shoot the official protest today. But when my twitter stream told me the protest around Native rights was coming right down Bay street, pretty much past my crib, I had to step out and grab some shots. Glad I did. It was certainly much larger than the first protests early in the week. By the time this protest reached Yonge St. – it felt the crowd had swelled to 1,000.
Native rights protesters on Yonge street.
The men behind the shots. Photographer Steve Russell of the Toronto Star ahead of the G20 Native rights protest on Bay St.
Yonge street.
No question we’re seeing a very large, tactical, precise police operation unfolding on downtown streets.
Police on bikes in full force on Front st. Thursday as many country delegations began their arrival to various Toronto hotels.
There calling the G20 Summit in Toronto the largest police mobilization in Canadian police history – and it certainly feels that way.
A St. Louis Cardinals fan arrives to a very secure Rogers Centre for the Blue Jays game early Thursday evening
Come Saturday, the Toronto hotel where President Obama’s motorcade will be steering into.