Spectators in Body Armor [Mark Steyn]
I may have to revise my old line about the British police being "the most monumentally useless in the developed world". For the G20 summit, the Toronto coppers ordered up a ton of new body armor, weaponry, gas masks, etc - and then stood around in their state-of-the-art riot gear watching as a bunch of middle-class "anarchists" trashed the city. Streetcars were left abandoned, and even police cruisers were seized, vandalized and burned. But hey, it's the taxpayers who pay for 'em, right? And I'm sure they'll have replacements ready when Constable Plod needs to drive over to Tim Hortons for his mid-morning Boston Creme.
As it happens, I wrote about the increasing indifference of the northern constabulary to the Queen's peace at the time of the Ann Coulter riot a few weeks ago:
As for Ottawa’s coppers, they certainly demonstrated that famously Canadian “restraint.” Faced with a law-abiding group engaging in legal activity and a bunch of thugs trying to prevent it, the police declined to maintain order. As George Jonas wrote, “Ottawa’s finest exemplified Canada’s definition of moral leadership by observing neutrality between lawful and lawless...”
There's a lot of that about. I referenced the bizarre incident in which the Finance Minister of Ontario was attacked during a public television taping:
As in Ottawa, law enforcement declined to enforce the law, the OPP remaining in the wings as thugs rushed the stage. “The police, I’m told, were urged not to intervene,” Paikin explained, “lest pictures of demonstrators being hauled off by the cops show up all over YouTube.”
True. You might haul off a Muslim or a lesbian and find yourself in “human rights” hell. Better just to linger nonchalantly by the side until it’s all over: O Canada, we stand around for thee. Her Majesty’s Constabulary seem to be sending the message that violence pays—at least for approved identity groups. That doesn’t seem a prudent strategy.
As we see. The Toronto PD are your go-to guys if you want a fetching police escort for the Queers Against Israeli Apartheid float in the Pride Parade, but they don't otherwise seem to perform any useful function. David Miller, the city's brain-dead mayor, can usually be relied upon for a fatuous soundbite.
In this case, he offered:
This isn't our Toronto.
Er, actually, it is. Try looking out the window. This wasn't quite as hilarious as his response to NPR's Renee Montagne after 18 Toronto Muslims were arrested for plotting to behead the Prime Minister and blow up Parliament:
"More than half of the people who live in Toronto, including myself, were not born in Canada. And I think that's why Canada works."
"Although it didn't work in this case," Ms. Montagne pointed out, somewhat maliciously.
And now it hasn't worked again. This comment seems more relevant than any of Hizzoner's:
Any city that stands aside to photograph itself burning - deserves to.
Keystone Kanuck Kops [Mark Steyn]
More fun from the G20 summit:
Having stood by watching as a mob trashed downtown businesses (and their own cruisers), the peculiarly insecure dweebs of the Toronto police are now threatening law-abiding passers-by (that would be Cop#3478) and beating up Guardian reporters:
Steve Paikin, a prominent Toronto journalist said that he was escorted away by two police officers who saw his government-issued summit media credentials. He was advised that if he stayed he would be arrested.
As he was being taken away, Mr. Paikin said he saw another journalist, Jesse Rosenfeld, a contributor to the Guardian website, showing his identification to two police officers. At that point, according to Mr. Paikin, each of them took one of Mr. Rosenfeld’s arm as a third police officer, wearing a t-shirt and shorts, punched the reporter in the stomach. After Mr. Rosenfeld fell to the ground, the third officer jabbed an elbow into his back. Mr. Paikin said.
Memo to al-Qa'eda: This would be a really great night to blow up the CN Tower. The billion-dollar security presence will be too busy clubbing the BBC correspondent and working over the gal from Le Monde to notice.
Old Canadian police motto: The Mounties always get their man.
New Canadian police motto: The Mounties always get their Guardian reporter. Frankly, it's a lot easier.
John Hinderaker asks a good question.
06/27 09:19 PM
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