Posted: Tuesday, 29 June 2010

Up to 30,000 people took part in a peaceful labour-led rally and march in Toronto on June 26 during the G20 Summit of political leaders. Ken Georgetti, CLC president, told those attending the rally that Canada’s government wants to convince other G20 countries to make deep cuts to public services. “That can only mean dramatically slashing needed public services during a recession. The G20’s priorities should be about cutting unemployment – not cutting the services that help those without a job," Georgetti said. He also criticized the excessive cost of staging the G20 Summit. “These leaders spend $1 billion on personal security for themselves while around the world billions of ordinary people have no economic security.”

The rally and march sponsored by labour and citizens’ groups was peaceful. Later that day a small group of people committed acts of vandalism and destroyed property in downtown Toronto. Georgetti issued a statement on the same evening in which he said the CLC abhorred that activity. “Our rally and march were entirely peaceful from start to finish. It appears that a small group of anarchists, who are unknown to us, became involved in some violent and destructive activities as the day progressed. We condemn these actions and we will continue to exercise our democratic right to free expression in a peaceful manner at all times.”