Anti Police Protesters Help Usher In The Police State

I am going to start this off by stating that we recognize the severe problems in the current police systems. I think anyone who follows our works knows this very well. We also fully support peoples ability to protest (can also be seen in our work).

We have been doing our best to work with the families of police homicide victims, get cameras onto officers and off of the streets (Hamilton police are still refusing lapel cameras and have plans to put CCTV cameras on every street corner in the city), and all around just trying to curb the evolving police state.

All of our work over the past 3 years was basically just nullified in one night! As the Hamilton police have been trying to justify spending $44,000 on just one mobile CCTV camera (with plans to buy more) to aid the police in protests and riots, as they try to justify hiring more officers, and spending more and more money. A small group of protesters basically gave the police everything they need to sell all of it to the public.

Yesterday was the international day against police brutality. Here in Hamilton a rally was planned and promoted for 7pm. The posters advertising the protest summed up what the event would entail.

When we arrived at the starting point of the rally (McNab bus station), it was the exactly what I expected to see. A small group of people wearing all black, beating on drums and letting out a chorus of robotic chants.

“who’s streets out streets”, “no justice no peace F the police”, “get those animals off those horses”

Warrand, who has been present at every police board meeting in nearly the last year, and has completely dedicated himself to the issue. Held up his banner and began to yell, encouraging the protesters to support the victims of police brutality and asking them to attend the police board meetings. Protesters quickly walked over and raised their banner in front of his and began chanting at a high pitch to drown what Warrand was saying out.

Seeing this I knew how this protest was going to go. So I decided that I did not want to be associated with this group and stayed on the outside of protest.

As I walked away from the location Warrand was standing, a few Asian students walked up and started to snap pictures. An older man wearing all black and a green tie came out of the crowd and began snapping at them. “get out of here! You kind is not welcome, you come here and think that you can do what you want” Where his remarks.

It is unlikely that the whole group felt this way, and the man was clearly intoxicated. But it still surprised me and when I asked him what he thought he was doing? He looked at me grinned and walked back into the crowd.

Frank and Lucas split off and went into the crowd to try to interview some of the attendees. After the crowd made their way to the corner of King street and James street and made their way down James street north. I could not find them.

When the protest got past James street and York street, people began coming out of the restaurants they where in. Some of the comments I heard while walking by them where “What the hell?” “Are you kidding me?”. They where obviously not impressed.

This aspect of the rally was really interesting to me. Teenagers who came across the protest loved it! Joining and yelling F the police, etc. Intoxicated people from a few bars seemed to enjoy it, but families out for dinner, etc. Where not impressed at all.

Shortly after this I found Frank and Lucas. They informed me that pure craziness happened as they attempted to interview people.

Frank had been walking through the crowd asking questions. What do you propose for solutions? Why are you wearing masks?, etc.

The leader of the group then came to Frank and accused him of trying to unmask people and that he was working with the police ( at a police brutality rally I attended in Toronto a couple of years ago, I was branded a cop with a camera, paranoid just a little?). He brought up that he knew who Frank was (of course he did, this was the same person who pushed Lucas into a police horse at a previous protest), and that yours truly had been over heard saying “That tall guy is a communist”. Which yes I did state that, what else do you call a person who goes to protests and public event waving an over sized Chinese flag while wearing a red hat that has the Soviet Union symbol on it? In fact the organizers label themselves as Anarcho communists.

This highlights another very interesting point that we noticed. They had people following us and others around, listening in on our conversations.

People in the protest started to set of fireworks along James street north. They did this as they turned onto Barton Street and headed towards the jail. Eventually the protest made it to the central police station.

Protesters continued to set off fireworks in front of the police station, while lighting one it went off and hit a window on the police station. Then people began yelling at the police. One man even began threatening them. Saying people are going to start being violent to police. Shortly after it was announced that the protest was over.

As 3 people split of from the group, police immediately went after them and cornered one of them in front of an apartment building for disabled people. The remaining protesters all ran over to “help” the guy. But after they found out that he was just being given a ticket. They did not stay to make sure that is what was happening. Other than a few, they did not have cameras on what was happening and surprisingly just left with the guy still in police custody.

After witnessing all of this, I can say that the only thing that was achieved last night. Was a selling point for the police and their future plans! This childish temper tantrum of a protest, that gave zero options for solutions. Just set back the work of real activists/media and people in this city in a huge way! It will take years to undo the work that these protesters just did for the police.