G20 Protests

People gathered by the hundreds in Allan Gardens preparing for the protest rally and march through the streets of Toronto. This really was a protest of many faces as so many groups and individuals wanted to get word out for various causes - there were even some protesting grannies. The official protest site - Queen's Park, was vacant beside for the large contingent of media patiently waiting for protesters, any protesters.

At one corner of Allan Gardens police were checking bags of the people entering the park, elsewhere along the sidewalks surrounding the park other people just walked in a joined the growing crowds. Some groups had to remove the poles holding large banners because the police were worried that the poles would become weapons. People were painting banners and distributing protest signs.

Starting early in the day the rally was supposed to start at 2:30pm but it took quite a long time to get rolling. The march hit Carlton Street around 4:00pm and walked west towards Yonge Street. The protest was led by women and the trans-gendered. The yellow and red banners mark the start of the march along Carlton Street.

See more pictures and coverage of the protest rally and march after the jump.

The gathering and walk was mostly a peaceful expression of hope. Tempers started to fray when the police had requested the removal of the banner poles and during some of the searches and when the police stopped the march from heading down Yonge Street and forced them to turn back to Allan Gardens. Within the large group protesters were quite a large number of hooded anarchists - maybe a sign of tomorrow's protest.

They were hoping to get to Yonge-Dundas Square but the police stopped the protest march on College Street. The Toronto Eaton Centre was quickly shut down and evacuated when they thought the protest was heading that way. A lot of the protesters headed back to the park after the march and set up a tent city. Some will join tomorrow's round of protests where plans are to head down to the security fence and return to the park afterwards. Some protesters have said that they will remain at the fence and try to take down some of it.

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