Evidence of meeting #38 for Public Safety and National Security in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was summit.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:25 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Right.
You said that the rights of people to peacefully protest were compromised by a mob. I'd put to you, sir, that the rights of those 70 people in that University of Toronto gymnasium to protest were not compromised by any mob; they were compromised by the police officers who came in and arrested them.
5:30 p.m.
Chief, Toronto Police Service
Absolutely. I think the police officers have a responsibility, if they believe on reasonable probable grounds that people have committed a criminal offence, to bring those people before a justice. And that was done in this case.
5:30 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
And it doesn't concern you that not one of those charges even went to trial?
5:30 p.m.
Chief, Toronto Police Service
Well, I'm aware of the circumstances under which the Ministry of the Attorney General made a decision not to proceed. It was not on the absence of reasonable and probable grounds, but on a different criteria, which is a reasonable prospect of conviction.
I don't mean to minimize this, but because of a legal technicality they did not believe there was a reasonable prospect of conviction, and they made the appropriate decision not to prosecute under those circumstances.
5:30 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
And part of that was because of lack of warrants.
So after six hours of specialized training, as well as the fact that these are police officers who are trained in the law and are trained in when they need a warrant or not, it happened that this coordinated activity went into the University of Toronto gymnasium at six in the morning and no one thought they might need a warrant. Is that right?
5:30 p.m.
Chief, Toronto Police Service
Well, the Feeney warrant is something that's been ruled by the Supreme Court of Canada, and it normally pertains to entering into a residence to apprehend an individual. A Feeney warrant must be obtained before going in to do that, except under extraordinary circumstances, I assume. Again, you're asking me to speculate. This matter is being investigated by the OIPRD, and we'll see what the outcome is. But I assume that they believed it was not required because they--
5:30 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Well, apparently they did believe that because they didn't have one, and apparently they were wrong, but--
5:30 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
We had the largest mass arrest in Canadian history, sir. There were 1,100 people arrested. There were 900 of them dismissed without the crown even being able to proceed to trial. I'll tell you what it looks like to Canadians--
5:30 p.m.
Chief, Toronto Police Service
No, sir. What you've just said is incorrect.
5:30 p.m.
NDP
5:30 p.m.
Chief, Toronto Police Service
No, sir. There were 900 people apprehended for breach of the peace--
5:30 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Can I ask my question, please, sir?
What it looks like is that the police went in and arrested almost a thousand people. They didn't have sufficient evidence. They removed those people from the ability to protest. The summit finished. Then, when the charges had to come to court, 900 of them have been withdrawn, so--
5:30 p.m.
Chief, Toronto Police Service
With great respect, sir, what you're saying is not correct.
5:30 p.m.
Chief, Toronto Police Service
First of all, the overwhelming majority of the people who were apprehended were apprehended under the legislation to prevent a breach of the peace. There was never any expectation that there were charges against them--
5:30 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Sir, what was said in the University of Toronto gym that morning?
5:30 p.m.
Chief, Toronto Police Service
I don't know. In the University of Toronto--
5:30 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
I was told that what was said was that they were being arrested for conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.
5:30 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
That's what was read out in that gymnasium--not breach of peace, sir. And we'll have witnesses who'll testify to that later on in this committee.
5:30 p.m.
Chief, Toronto Police Service
And that's fine, sir, but your statement that 900--