TORONTO - Hundreds of noisy G20 demonstrators shut down traffic in downtown Toronto on Monday protesting the heavy police presence in the city.

With the gathering of world leaders just days away, anti-poverty activists and others rallied at Allan Gardens.

Chanting slogans such as "Whose streets? Our streets!" and "Justice now!" the demonstrators — some masked, others wearing T-shirts with slogans or carrying banners — marched through the streets.

They blocked intersections, briefly occupied an Esso gas station then walked past the Eaton Centre.

"I know a lot of people who really don't like the G20 but are afraid to be out on the streets of Toronto," said a man who said he's a member of the hip-hop duo Test Their Logik.

"They see the sound weapons, they see the tear gas, they see the press releases the pigs are putting out, saying that like they're going to have snipers on the rooftops," he said.

The duo performed a song for the crowd that started off as "a police state, a police state, rise up, rebel, before it's too late."

Demonstrators say the $1 billion spent on military-style security for the gathering of world leaders could better be spent on the poor, health care or child care.

They shouted "Stop the war, arm the poor, make the rich pay."

Dozens of officers on bicycles moved like a wave alongside protesters, blocking side streets as the loud but peaceful marchers passed by.

The G20 leaders only serve the rich, and the G20 doesn't represent them, some protesters said.

"Who steals the wealth we create?" said Jamila Ghaddar, an organizer with the Hamilton Coalition Against the G20.

"Money and resources are supposed to go to the people in our society so everybody is taken care of. They steal that," Ghaddar told the crowd.

Representatives of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty and the Kingston Coalition Against Poverty were in the crowd, said Kelly Pflug-Back, 21, a rally organizer and University of Guelph student.

"We are involved on a day-to-day basis with trying to provide the things that the government is not providing, trying to create a framework for a community that is self-sufficient," said Pflug-Back.

The marchers also oppose the Western presence in Afghanistan and Iraq, said protester Morteza Gorgzadeh.

One protester was arrested. The demonstrators plan to stage another march during Tuesday afternoon's rush hour.

Meanwhile, police warn they have added a water cannon to their arsenal as they step up security ahead of the summit in Toronto.

Provincial police Const. Michelle Murphy of the Integrated Security Unit said the water projection system will be used to control large crowds if there are riots.

"The projection system causes less injuries so that's why it's an option for us," said Murphy.

Toronto's police chief has said 5,100 officers have been assigned to keep the city safe as the weekend summit nears.

Officers have been doing security sweeps through parks where protests will be held. Workers have put the finishing touches on the three-metre-tall fence that surrounds the security zone.

People are advised to avoid the fenced-off area, and officers will ask those trying to get inside for identification and their reason for entering.

The Canada Revenue Agency said Monday it will close its tax office near the security zone Wednesday through Friday.

Security for the G8 summit in Huntsville, Ont., was also boosted. As of Monday, no public access was being granted to Deerhurst Resort where world leaders will gather.

Road restrictions on a portion of Highway 60 go into effect Wednesday.

I have a day off saturday, should I go to the protests against the g20? I'm against the g20 but don't want to actively protest because i don't want to get arrested so i'll just take pictures. yesterday a black car stopped on the other side of a 3 meter concrete/metal fence, fired 3-4 shots into the air and then drove off - the police couldn't do anything in time because they were on the wrong side of the fence. today i think a suitcase was left to scare police into thinking it was a bomb. i don't think it will get violent but this kind of shit is just stirring the police up and tightening security more.

Has anyone here attended any large protest?? should I be worried about the possibility of tear gas, sound cannons (which may be banned) and water canons? tear gas isn't very friendly i hear.  or should i just not bother and stay home?

 If you were a real photographer, you would go. go for the perfect picture, bub.
But besides that I got nothin sorry

All I need  is B-15  and I got bingo

I don't see why anyone should hate theses meets... it needs to happen so they can get a better understanding.

because they're spending $1 billion on security alone by hosting it in such a large city as toronto. they could've done it in the middle of nowhere (northern canada?) and spent a fraction of the costs so it wouldn't meddle with businesses, public transportation, and people's lives in general.

Well they still will need a lot security for this after all the world leaders are in one location so it will still be a shit load of money no matter what State/Providence

Tell me this is this 1 billion out of just one country's pocket? (Because I didn't do much research into it)

Also this protesting shit is one of the reason for them spending more money on security.

Only thing i can sympathise is that it dose interferes with everyday life.

Fake lake: $1.9 million on a “marketing pavilion” at the Toronto media centre that includes a fake lake, canoes, giant screen TV, bar, replica of the Toronto Stock Exchange, and Muskoka chairs.

Port-a-potties: $416,387 for 600 portable toilets near the G8 site outside Huntsville, Ont.
Big rock: $194,000 for a Welcome Granite Stone in Parry Sound, about 80 km from the G8 summit.

Sidewalks: $125,000 to brick over sidewalks and build a band shell in Sundridge, 60 kilometres from the G8 summit.

Decorations: $167,000 to hire a decorator and develop a “fine arts strategy” for the G8 and G20 summits.

Landscaping: $745,000 to spruce up the downtowns of Rosseau, Hum phrey and Orrville — far from the G8 summit, where dignitaries have no intention of travelling.

Food safety: $1.2 million for Health Canada, mainly to make sure the food eaten by the dignitaries and their entourages is safe.

and yes, the federal government is spending all the money. fake lake, really??? they also unveiled the costs of the security before any protests actually happened (or any of significant size).

In terms of interfering with real life, downtown core Toronto all but pretty much shut down over the last few days, everyone is too scared to go near the giant wall that was erected. Business is dead. There's huge traffic already all over the city already, too. A lot of schools are shutting down and for those in university in toronto it heavily impedes on their summer finals because it's in the same time frame - a lot of people are getting all of their exams in a two day time period rather than being stretched out for a week or more.

couldn't they have all just gotten on skype?

couldn't they have all just gotten on skype?

fucking THIS.

They could have used that billion dollars to just buy some island in the Atlantic and build a 10-star hotel (it only goes up to 5!) for all future G8/G20 meetings. But no, let's shut down Toronto! WE'RE BRILLIANT WORLD LEADERS! It's like they are going out of their way to piss people off. I am not even anti-G20, but this shit is ridiculous.

I work at the Eaton Centre (which is in Toronto and is a major landmark, although technically not too close to the summit itself, perhaps half an hour away), and I'll be at work on Friday and Sunday. I wonder what's going to happen! IT'S EXCITING!

edit: To be fair to the police people are pretty fucking dumb and any place you have a bunch of angry idiots you have a recipe for disaster

The G20 is going to be attended by the heads of state and financial ministers of the 20 most powerful countries in the world, and people who run organizations such as the IMF and World Bank. They're looking to ensure their survival over their own faults for the global economic crisis, which will certainly include making decisions for other poorer nations so that they may be used as a step ladder for their own success. There's going to be various protest groups protesting for different things: pro-queer (they feel that gay rights aren't equal and represented in the G20), anti-racist, anti-capitalist, anti-authoritarian, anti-globalization, etc. 

The G20 is essentially reinforcing an undisrupted dominant worldview for these 20 countries that only cements the heights of corporate globalization while leaving all the poorer countries behind. Protesters are trying to get to the root causes of the problems of unemployment, differential advantages, sovereign collapse, starvation, poverty etc, and the problems are so big that people are so frustrated that they would even put themselves in jeopardy to protest.

The good thing about this protest is that anarchist groups are getting far more exposure at the moment because they can appeal to the common dislike for the G20 from students, unions, peace groups, marxists and whoever else, and they're at the forefront right now organizing protests and handing out booklets, spreading information. I don't think the protests will achieve much but I think they're going to be pretty big because they can appeal to anyone, those who want to live their "antisocial insurrectionist fantasies" as dietcoke said, and those that just want to go and shout some things in a peaceful protest like most people will.

it's basically a big circlejerk