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Tamil protesters block Canadian Hwy

Mrs.Greg

Well-known member
As you've gathered I can be fairly liberal at times in my opinons...NOT this time!! These protesters flew their own flags and had little children protesting.And blocked a HWY. They wanted OUR government to help their country,something a number of them said in the media.The liberal & NDP leaders were hollering at my conservative prime minister to "help". Maybe we need to start helping our birth residents that fly our flag for our country.I;'m not saying I don't feel for the Tamils,but WHY should my country be forced by protesters to HAVE to help another country.




Thousands of Tamil Canadian protesters who blocked all lanes of a downtown Toronto highway for several hours Sunday evening began walking away from the area around midnight.

Tamil protesters waving red flags shut down a downtown Toronto highway on Sunday evening. Tamil protesters waving red flags shut down a downtown Toronto highway on Sunday evening. (Patrick Dell/Canadian Press)A spokesman for the protesters told TV station CP24 that Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff's deputy chief of staff has promised to bring up their concerns Monday in caucus about the civil war in their native Sri Lanka and the possibility of economic and diplomatic sanctions by Canada.

The demonstrators were happy with the response and said they'd leave the Gardiner Expressway and take their protest to the Ontario legislature at Queen's Park, he said.

The eastbound and westbound lanes of the elevated expressway were completely blocked by people, including mothers with children, who marched up the ramps at Spadina Avenue about 6:30 p.m. ET and on to the highway that runs across the south end of the city.

Traffic on the major thoroughfare was backed up in both directions for several kilometres.

Police estimated as many as 2,000 protesters took part in the demonstration, which was mainly peaceful with some reports of minor skirmishes with police. Hundreds sat down, linking arms and chanting "no more genocide."

Local media also reported Sunday that police had temporarily shut down southbound access to the Don Valley Parkway at Highway 401, in the city's north end. The parkway links with the Gardiner in the south.

For several months, Tamil Canadians and their supporters have been holding demonstrations in Toronto and Ottawa to protest violence in northern Sri Lanka. They are calling for foreign governments to help arrange a ceasefire between Sri Lankan government troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam insurgents.
Meeting demanded

Earlier Sunday evening, protest spokesman Siva Vimal vowed that protesters would stay on the highway until they obtained a meeting with federal officials.

Police Chief William Blair said several protests downtown had spread his resources thin on Sunday.Police Chief William Blair said several protests downtown had spread his resources thin on Sunday. (Nick Czernkovich/CBC)"We are not going to move until a representative from our federal government comes here … from Prime Minister [Stephen] Harper's office … and addresses this crowd and tells us specifically what they are going to do to take action on implementing a halt to the war in Sri Lanka."

Mayor David Miller told TV station CP24 that Tamil Canadians have the right to demonstrate but that shutting down the expressway doesn't help their cause and they don't have the right to do that.

"It's extremely dangerous for them to be on the Gardiner," he said, adding that he was concerned about the protesters' safety and that of the public and police.

Miller said it's the responsibility of Toronto police to handle such protests, adding he was confident they would handle it and "bring in whatever resources are necessary to ensure public safety is preserved."
Police chief calls for more officers

At a news conference late Sunday evening, police Chief William Blair said the protesters had spread his resources thin with several protests downtown. He had officers in place at the Gardiner as well as at the Ontario legislature and the U.S. Consulate, where protesters began another demonstration earlier Sunday.

Blair said he was calling in more officers across the city, including those from the Ontario Provincial Police and other police services, and would take action at some point if negotiations failed to reopen the expressway.

But he added that police would handle protesters "with minimal amount of force."

Police were worried that moving the demonstrators off the Gardiner could cause a stampede, he said.

"I'm very concerned about the safety of children," Blair said. "I think it's an extremely dangerous situation to put children on the front line of a protest in that way. I think it puts them at tremendous risk."

In a separate demonstration, about 1,000 Tamil protesters blocked traffic in front of the Ontario legislature at College Street and University Avenue. The office of Premier Dalton McGuinty said there would be no official comment on the situation until Monday.

The latest protests came one day after reports that an all-night artillery barrage in Sri Lanka's war zone killed at least 378 people and forced thousands of civilians to flee to makeshift shelters along a beach.

Last week, International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda met with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollangama to discuss the civil war.

Oda said Canada will provide an additional $3 million in humanitarian aid for Sri Lanka, while calling on the country's military and rebels to commit to a ceasefire that will allow civilians to escape the war zone.
 

hillsdown

Well-known member
Oda said Canada will provide an additional $3 million in humanitarian aid for Sri Lanka, while calling on the country's military and rebels to commit to a ceasefire that will allow civilians to escape the war zone.


I feel for the innocents as well especially the children because you know that when they grow up it will be spun to blame the free world for all of their problems, but how can you help a country when it is still at war with itself.

I am becoming apathetic as our tax dollars go up and we see nothing for it. The harder you work the less you have and what about "charity begins at home"..


Oh, and the thought of imposing a death tax is unforgivable. Anyone that has a job and pays taxes the government taxes the first penny you make and then they tax everything you buy ,and then they tax what you have bought again and now they want to tax what little you have managed to save for a rainy day or a comfortable life in your advanced years when you die again, after you have already payed taxes on that 50 million times..

I say
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BTW, Stelmach is a real twit and I wish to hell the PC's kick him out and get a real leader. How the hell could he take a province well into the black in a booming economy and run it into the red.. :mad:
 

Broke Cowboy

Well-known member
They are trash - a known terrorist group - and quite happy to bring their war to North America.

No time for them or their ilk.

Ship them home - if they want to make a difference, go fight the battle in their own country.

Thanks again to the liberals for bringing them to Canada.

BC
 

andybob

Well-known member
Mrs Greg, the problem is that western countries are percieved as a 'soft touch' by these groups, especially when a country has intervened in similar situations in the past. The west is becoming less tolerant of these groups as in the past, ceasefires have been abused, and insurgent groups have used these periods to re-arm, re-group and strenghthen their position before starting their acts of terror thus ending the ceasefire at a time of their choosing. The attacks on western citizens and in western countries has also contributed to a harder line by even traditionally liberal governments.
Everyone has a right to free speech and to protest in accordance with the laws of the host country, but must NOT be allowed to distrupt the daily routines of citizens, and must definitly not be allowed to be disruptive to the extent of damaging property, accosting citizens or rioting in any way.
The use of children in these protests is dispicable and cowardly, but we must also remember that the Tamil insurgents did not hesitate to target children so they must not be allowed to take advantage of our western sensitivity toward children being in a vunerable situation.
 

Mrs.Greg

Well-known member
andybob said:
Mrs Greg, the problem is that western countries are percieved as a 'soft touch' by these groups, especially when a country has intervened in similar situations in the past. The west is becoming less tolerant of these groups as in the past, ceasefires have been abused, and insurgent groups have used these periods to re-arm, re-group and strenghthen their position before starting their acts of terror thus ending the ceasefire at a time of their choosing. The attacks on western citizens and in western countries has also contributed to a harder line by even traditionally liberal governments.
Everyone has a right to free speech and to protest in accordance with the laws of the host country, but must NOT be allowed to distrupt the daily routines of citizens, and must definitly not be allowed to be disruptive to the extent of damaging property, accosting citizens or rioting in any way.
The use of children in these protests is dispicable and cowardly, but we must also remember that the Tamil insurgents did not hesitate to target children so they must not be allowed to take advantage of our western sensitivity toward children being in a vunerable situation.
Next to Broke Cowboy your the one I most respect on here andybob.I understand where your coming from for sure but the fact these protesters disrupted traffic for hours,DEMANDED they weren't leaving until our prime minster agreed to help AND mostly the fact that they brought their children to protest disgusted me.The police were held at bay,they couldn't do their normal crowd control because of the children.IF it had gotten out of hand the police felt their hands were tied because of the children.It was extremely cowardly bringing children to that protest. I understand children are being harmed but I'm thinking one huge reason these protesters left their country was to protect the children. I don't think they taught the children anything good by having them at the protest. Don't we try teaching our little ones that having temper tantrums don't work,well that's not what they were being taught during this protest.
 

andybob

Well-known member
I deplore their taking advantage of our western sensitivities, and I would never condone any action by our police forces that would endanger children in these situations, this is an old and evil tactic and have been in situations where we were fired on from behind human shields consisting mostly of children, and we refused to return fire, a very unpleasant situation to be in.
The best tactic in these circumstances, is to have the protests filmed, then people can be identified after the protests, then prosecuted for endangering their children and put on a social services list of vunerable children, to bring home to them that we will not tolerate this form of manipulation, and will take action when children are put at risk!
 

Mike

Well-known member
A couple of live Hornet's nests thrown in amongst those folks would have fixed those compadres right up.
 

Mrs.Greg

Well-known member
andybob said:
I deplore their taking advantage of our western sensitivities, and I would never condone any action by our police forces that would endanger children in these situations, this is an old and evil tactic and have been in situations where we were fired on from behind human shields consisting mostly of children, and we refused to return fire, a very unpleasant situation to be in.
The best tactic in these circumstances, is to have the protests filmed, then people can be identified after the protests, then prosecuted for endangering their children and put on a social services list of vunerable children, to bring home to them that we will not tolerate this form of manipulation, and will take action when children are put at risk!
Excellent idea andybob,unfortunaly our NDP leader would NEVER agree to anything like that,I have a feeling he just may have been beside them protesting.... :? Its sad,they seem to be holding thier host country hostage...IMHO
 
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