Having read through pages and pages of arguments and counter-arguments here, I think that the need for a transparent and impartial inquiry is clearly shown. The truth is, none of us really KNOW what happened during these various confrontations. Certainly some people will claim police brutality, or claim that they were only innocent bystanders when they were not. But the sheer number of complaints and the anecdotal video and photo evidence that seems to back them up does raise some serious questions about police behaviour which have not been answered in any satisfactory way. The evasion of the police to pointed questions, and their own seeming confusion about their actions during and after the events are very worrying. In particular, the extremely large percentage of people who were released without charges after many hours of detainment is troublesome. I've seen no hard statistics, but from what I've read it seems that the vast majority were detained without just cause or any proof of wrongdoing that was strong enough to hold up in court. And if this is the case, why were they detained? Even when the police try to justify things, such as by displaying yesterday's lame outlay of weapons (including several they already admitted were not G20 related, and dozens of gas masks which are not weapons and were in fact handed out to journalists by various news organizations) has only served to weaken their own position.
I don't think most sane people are asking for all police to be demonized or blamed for everything; we are asking for an honest transparent investigation and for some straight answers. The police had a tough job to do, but they were well-equipped, well-trained, and well-compensated for their work, and they are not above the law themselves. And, as unfair as it may be, the police are held to a much higher level of accountability than criminals. Because some people were acting as hooligans does not mean that the rights of hundreds of other people in this city can suddenly be voided.
Additionally, anyone bringing the political views of the individuals arrested into the conversation is missing the point of the anger. I personally do not share the political opinions of the vast majority of the protesters I saw on the weekend-- I am not anti-capitalist, anti-G20, anti-Obama, anti-prison, pro-marijauana, etc. However, I understand that as Canadians we have a right to take these stances and make our opinions known. I feel no need to protest at the moment because everything in my life is pretty swell; but that might change in 10, 20, or 40 years, and one day if I have a reason to support a personal cause I want to know that my right to fight for it legally is still intact.
