G-20 Summit in Toronto – Part 8
This photo essay is part of a special Photo Journalism series covering the events leading up to and of the G-20 Summit hosted by Toronto in June 2010.
Click for Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine.
Saturday, June 26th, 2010: Day 1 of the G-20 Summit Weekend
The first day of the G-20 Summit weekend in Toronto was also my friend’s wedding and reception day at Toronto’s CNE! Due to many road closures, I wasn’t sure how bad the traffic conditions would be. But as it turned out, most people had stayed at home and the roads were eerily deserted.
I chose to take the more scenic or happening route to the reception hall down Yonge Street. The following photo essay showcases the events that unfolded, and turned me into a Citizen Photo Journalist!

I was driving south on Yonge Street towards CNE, when I heard reports on 680 News about the “Black Bloc” protesters smashing shop windows on Yonge Street…

I parked my car on a side street and took to the street taking pictures as Toronto’s history was unfolding in front of my eyes

Most of the destruction on Yonge Street was smashed shop windows, but I had heard reports of torched police cruisers (cars) in other parts of Toronto

I can’t say I was sorry to see this happen to a Bell store… the pain that they inflict on their customers in the form of price gouging and anti-competitive behaviour is far worse than this.

I agree… the fencing erected along the “security perimeter” was akin to what one would see at a maximum security prison!

Over a billion dollars were spent on policing and security for that one weekend, but the police still could not prevent the destruction that happened that day

While the police were in formation here, over in the Financial District some of their cars were being torched

Overall, this picture symbolizes the destruction that happened on Yonge Street on that fateful G-20 Saturday night in Toronto.
I was running late for the wedding reception, so I walked back to my car and drove off with memories from the most exciting weekend in Toronto’s history!
Stay tuned for Part 9 for pictures from the Final Day (Day 2) of the G-20 Summit weekend (June 26 and June 27, 2010).
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