“This ain’t Canada right now”

The G20 in Toronto just got christened.

Surprisingly, the most consummate, sublime, and succinct summation of the events that ensnared the city of Toronto during the weekend of June 25, 2010, were uttered not by a reporter, writer, or musician, but by York Regional Police Sgt. Mark Charlebois.

On June 27th at the corner of King St. W. and University Ave.a group of police officers were randomly searching the bags of passersby. When one young man had the audacity to insist that, as a Canadian, he had the right to refuse to a random search of his personal belongings, the officer’s retort – an absolute answer to the individual’s assertion – was as pithy as it was conclusive.

“This ain’t Canada right now,” he said.

The protester continued continued to refuse to consent to a bag while at the same time refusing to leave the area, stating; “I just don’t like to have my civil rights violated,

“There is no civil rights here in this area,” the officer replies. “How many times do you gotta be told that?”

So there you have it.

I contacted the York Regional Police to determine whether or not sovereignty over the area immediately surrounding King St. W. and University Ave. had returned to Canada, or possibly reverted to its original First Nations inhabitants, but as of the time of press have yet to receive a response.

Until confirmation has been received I recommend travelling in pairs in the area, and to keep an eye out for unscrupulous pirates. They can generally be identified by the distinctive monochromatic jolly roger flag and their use of 17th century shallow-draft, two-mast brigand’s ships.