In a recent article for The Toronto Star, Olivia Ward asked:

How will democracy fare in the G20 world order?

It won't.

Reminding us once again of the emergence of a "New World Order" at the G20 last year, former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised the G20 would "secure responsibility from all and fairness to all. And we have agreed that in doing so we will build a more sustainable and more open and a fairer global society."

Oh those Brits and their dry humour.

Open?

The G20 meetings are held in total secrecy.

The current summit in Toronto is guarded by an Integrated Security Unit (ISU) comprised of thousands of police, military and intelligence agents, who prowl the streets and openly harass people, demanding to see identification without cause, under the guise of protecting the security fence as a "Public Work."

How is this fence serving the public?

Construction of the 6-km fence was awarded as a $5 million Public Works contract to SNC-Lavalin, the former owner of SNC-TEC (now owned by General Dynamics), a war-profiteer who has sold hundreds of millions of rounds of ammunition used in the war and occupation of Iraq.

How is this responsible?

It is taken for granted (by those who know their rights) in a democracy, that you cannot be stopped by police and searched without cause. You are not required to show identification. You are not required to answer any questions. You are free to move about unmolested.

Unfortunately for us so blessed by democracy here in Ontario, the Lieutenant Governor (David Onley) quietly approved a new regulation under the Ontario Public Works Protection Act which is forcing certain members of the police to trample our civil liberties.

I am referring to the police who receive orders and not the ones who bark them.

Under section 2.3 of the Public Works Protection Act, police acting under regulations and "any special direction of the Solicitor General or the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police Force . . . shall obey all directions . . ."

And if the police refuse their orders?

Under section 2.4, any officer "who, (a) neglects or refuses to obey a direction that he or she is required to obey under subsection (3); (b) fails in any manner to carry out his or her duties as guard; (c) leaves the location to which he or she is assigned as guard or ceases to act as guard without leave of any of the persons mentioned in subsection (3); or (d) otherwise conducts himself or herself in a manner not consistent with his or her duties as guard, is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of not more than $500 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than two months, or to both."

Under section 3, police following their orders "(a) may require any person entering or attempting to enter any public work or any approach thereto to furnish his or her name and address, to identify himself or herself and to state the purpose for which he or she desires to enter the public work, in writing or otherwise; (b) may search, without warrant, any person entering or attempting to enter a public work or a vehicle in the charge or under the control of any such person or which has recently been or is suspected of having been in the charge or under the control of any such person or in which any such person is a passenger; and (c) may refuse permission to any person to enter a public work and use such force as is necessary to prevent any such person from so entering."

This is a gross abuse of power by the Ontario government and Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair, "who wanted additional policing powers shortly after learning the G20 was coming to Toronto."

At a news conference on Friday, Blair told reporters that people "have a right not to identify themselves. They may leave. The five-metre zone around the fence is to protect the barrier."

If we are simply allowed to leave after we are harassed, then how did tar-sands activist, Dave Vasey end up in a wire cage, and what happened to UK-based Charlie Veitch of The Love Police?

This isn't about threats, this about shutting down dissent, plain and simple. You will tell us who you are and answer our questions or else we arrest you. Either way you lose. Either way, the ISU gets to conduct an interview with you against your will and civil rights, and is thus able to add you to the intelligence files of CSIS, the RCMP, OPP, regional police, and perhaps even the military. There is no way for an individual to protect their identity once they have been remanded into custody - you are at the mercy of the system and those who run it.

And once this happens, you are marked as a trouble-maker because you dared to stand up for your constitutional and charter rights - all because you came within 5 metres of a "Public Work" that serves no one except global elite interests and their "emerging New World Order."

This is democracy, G20-style, where you have no right to dissent or freedom of expression. You have the right to keep your mouth shut and follow orders. The G20 knows best.

And so it goes....