Pride 2010, minutes before this

Toronto Pride 2010

On Adelaide St. East of Bathurst.

July 1, 2010, Kincardine ON

We had the best spot, at the base of the pier where they were set off. They started just as the sun set, beautiful.

Just before the Toronto Pride Parade began, a lone individual, masked by an eighties sun visor marched down the Pride parade route from Bloor St. beating a canvas shield that read POLITE with a black soup ladle. At Charles St. beating the POLITE shield he approached the officer I had spoken to earlier about the weather (of all things!) who  managed to include his fear that protesters from the G20 might show up at Pride in our banal conversation.

Long story short, our friend POLITE was received with cheers and applause and skipped away - the officer gave chase and a couple of blocks later he was relieved of his shield, ladle and visor and hauled off the route by two other officers.

After we cleaned up our media tent I snapped the officer and the hilarious POLITE riot gear. When i get my film back - I’ll post the shots of POLITE before being shut down.

I can’t believe what I saw on the TV last night. Disguised cowards armed with hammers and pick-axes smashing windows of stores, banks and coffee shops, the later with customers and staff inside. The group of disguised losers even tried to assault journalists and camera-men/women.

How does breaking the law forward their ’cause’? How does violence aimed at everyone make sense? Apparently there were peaceful and appropriate demonstrations, but all that anyone who stayed away from downtown yesterday will see are masked ‘anarchists’ running about being douchebags.

Maybe it’s a good thing I’m home with the flu.

A friend called me at work Friday and told me to drop whatever i was doing and get downtown to see the G20 protest…

June 28 - I wonder if they had anything to do with what happened downtown on Saturday?

Lydia Lunch at the Royal - so awesome.

Born To Kill.

April 18, 2010 - High Park crawling with 2 legged cameras.