Olivia Chow condemns criminal thugs wreaking havoc in downtown Toronto

At the beginning of the G8/G20, my New Democrat colleagues and I set out our priorities for the summit. We called for Canadian leadership on meeting our commitments to the Millennium Development Goals, investing in maternal and child health, including committing to strengthening sexual and reproductive health abroad, tackling climate change, and global financial reform.

Earlier today, thousands of peaceful protesters marched in the streets of Toronto to call on the G20 leaders to show leadership on these critical issues.  They exercised their democratic right to free speech and did so with peaceful intentions.

Sadly, a rogue group of masked, cowardly thugs used the peaceful protests as an opportunity to vandalize stores and wreak havoc on our downtown core.  These violent individuals were in no way associated with the peaceful rally. Their actions were shameful and criminal. It saddens me that the actions of a few criminals have distracted from the message of thousands of peaceful protestors, and I am angered by the destruction they have caused to our downtown core.

In the wake of these illegal actions, we must continue to press the Government to commit to compensating those who have suffered property damage and those who lost businesses as a result of the G20 summit.

Read more posts about: , ,