Harry Toons - Swine Lake

And another thing...

Back in the summer of 2010, Stephen Harper hosted the G-20 Toronto summit on the weekend of June 26-27. A fake lake was built costing $57,000 simulating the charm of Ontario's cottage country in the downtown area of Toronto where the summit was held. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/g20-fake-lake-revealed-1.936289 The media centre and "Experience Canada" pavilion and screen cost 23 million and 1.9 million respectively. Preparations were made for security, involving a fence around the perimeter and a temporary detention centre. Much has been written about this elsewhere but those are the highlights. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_G-20_Toronto_summit#Controversies

Over 1100 people were arrested that weekend, many of them only for being in the wrong place at the wrong time as they lived in the area and were going about their business.

Of course we can't say that G-20 summits shouldn't be hosted at all, but how does Canada's effort compare to summits in other countries?

G-20 summit - London 2009 - Police made over 100 arrests. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_G-20_London_summit_protests
G-20 summit - Pittsburgh 2009 - More than 175 people were arrested in over 2 days. http://www.democracynow.org/2009/9/28/nearly_200_arrested_as_police_unleash
G-20 summit - Brisbane 2014 - There were a handful of arrests and 11 people charged. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/15/g20-few-arrests-during-brisbane-marches-as-police-outnumber-protesters

I had started this illustration a few years ago, so now it's a part of history. Let's hope Stephen Harper is history in October.

UPDATE: The 2010 G-20 is in the news again today: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/mark-fenton-g20-police-officer-behind-mass-arrests-guilty-of-discreditable-conduct-1.3202686

RELATED: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/08/26/the-most-disturbing-thing-we-learned-from-the-g20-keenan.html