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Discussion in the leadup to the G20 Summit took a far more serious and ominous turn on Friday, June 25, when the Toronto Star ran a front-page story about an amendment to the virtually unknown Public Works Protection Act. The change to the law, the Star reported, was passed quietly by the Provincial government, and gave the police broad powers.
The amendment was brought to the Star’s attention by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), a group that distinguished itself as a steady and sober voice for the rights of civilians caught up in the law-enforcement web. Nathalie Des Rosiers, CCLA general counsel who has become a go-to source for reporters, spoke with Spacing’s Todd Harrison about the laws surrounding public protest, her group’s response to the G20 arrests, and the upcoming review by the Toronto Police Services Board.
Links to stuff from Spacing Radio’s G20 Special, pt. IV:
- The CCLA’s G8 and G20 statements and actions
- The Star story that broke the news about the Public Works Protection Act
- A great primer on the Act from law blog Slaw.ca
- The Act itself, and the controversial amendment