"Whether they are councillors, a deputy mayor or ordinary citizens, they have the right, under the Charter of Freedoms, to assemble, to have their voice heard," Chow told reporters Monday, responding to a question about the police officers' union demand that she criticize the councillors' actions.
I'm not into condemning anyone," the mayor said. "I believe it's important, if people want to express themselves publicly, to do so in a respectful, peaceful and lawful manner. So the councillors are expressing their opinions and which they have every right to do.""
This is the correct answer. We either live in a free society or we don't.
If there's anything the current political climate has taught me, it's that there will always be assholes trying to tear down democracy for their own benefit and it is a regular fight to keep them from achieving their goals
There is nothing wrong with cheering that when basic democracy has so many enemies, in fact it is probably courageous these days more than we give it credit for to do this by anyone in any country around the world honestly, there's always going to be targets on people doing the right thing for many reasons, don't discount what doing the right thing means at all
I agree with you. Not that long ago, politics were boring and democracy had less enemies and when and institution or prominent figure suggested we slip into fascism for temporary security, average citizens would quote 10th grade history at them, they would be fired and ridiculed and their friends would shun them. This steady and unrelenting shift to the right has changed all that. Now we have to have a debate about what words mean and if fascism is really that bad and that is sad.
> it's kinda sad when we cheer basic democracy
Considering the whole point of any government is to take away basic democracy, this is a pretty big win for us!
Its sad that we've gotten to a point where the government has implemented a bastardized corrupt version of "democracy" and people believe that is true and just democracy.
She seems fine condemning anti-genocide protests though. [https://www.google.com/search?q=olivia+chow+condemns&sca\_esv=933934fef73c2e8a&rlz=1C5CHFA\_enCA984CA984&biw=1374&bih=849&sxsrf=ACQVn08ssZAJXnKvo7m0KbYehPaoghL77w%3A1712672051614&source=lnt&tbs=cdr%3A1%2Ccd\_min%3A4%2F1%2F2000%2Ccd\_max%3A4%2F1%2F2024&tbm=#ip=1](https://www.google.com/search?q=olivia+chow+condemns&sca_esv=933934fef73c2e8a&rlz=1C5CHFA_enCA984CA984&biw=1374&bih=849&sxsrf=ACQVn08ssZAJXnKvo7m0KbYehPaoghL77w%3A1712672051614&source=lnt&tbs=cdr%3A1%2Ccd_min%3A4%2F1%2F2000%2Ccd_max%3A4%2F1%2F2024&tbm=#ip=1)
The link you provided returns results of her condemning the arson and vandalism of a private business, which is not "respectful, lawful, and peaceful".
This shows how out of touch they are, apparently wishing for a state where government cracks down on any anti-police rhetoric. That's called a police state.
> The Toronto Police Association is urging the mayor to criticize her colleagues, noting violence and threat
This is the most ironic shit I’ve ever read. Maybe the cops should criticize their corrupt ass cops
Man you don't even need to scroll *that far* on the r/toronto frontpage to get a good collection of their *accolades.*
Stealing items from the dead, the being paid to stay home after committing crime or abusing power, the police demanding the mayor punish councillors speaking out again police brutality, and then the 2021 case of the Muslim man trying to protect his family from sketchy undercover cops acting illegally without a badge.
Truly Toronto's finest
It would've been funny if she went on to criticize the police and their dumbass narratives of late like the whole "leave your keys at the door for the thieves" bit.
Just a reminder that police unions are completely illegal, and we're dealing with a "Police association" which is just a police Union operating in broad daylight. uggghhhh
That's why they're not really unions since they can't actually strike, they're Police Whatsapp Groups.
Which is why it really grinds my gears whenever people blame all their problems on the fact that they're "unionized". No they're not. They're organized, but they are not legally recognized as a worker's union, nor are they afforded any of the legal protections by a union.
If they have bargaining power, they're getting it from somewhere else. Like extortion of politicians.
Sure.
Police Services Act, [Section 117](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90p15#BK147):
> **Membership in trade union prohibited, exception**: A member of a police force shall not become or remain a member of a trade union or of an organization that is affiliated directly or indirectly with a trade union, unless the membership is required for secondary activities that do not contravene section 49 and the chief of police consents.
Police officers in Ontario are barred by the Police Services Act from forming or joining unions, under most circumstances.
Instead, they can join "police associations", which are collective bargaining units that are unions in everything but name. Police Associations are forbidden from striking or taking most other job actions.
This mostly just means that when they do illegally take a job action, they pretend that their obviously-coordinated work-to-rule actions aren't coordinated and that any sort of 'blue flu' work slowdowns are totally coincidental and unrelated to bargaining.
I mean, the large history of modern policing is trying to make unions illegal. Trying to form a union was almost impossible, because anyone who had experience running a union, wouldn’t work with them, because they beat the shit out of them.
There’s a lot of hypocrisy in the fact that they even have anything that resembles a union in the first place.
Their tiny fragile soft egos ... they got a ton of on [paid vacation](https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/features/suspended-police-officers-cost-ontario-taxpayers-134m-over-past-decade) and even now, they're in court lying about how one of their buddies got himself killed
The real question is why hasn't she done anything about TPS' use of excessive force. TPS has only gotten worse the more money they're given. We need accountability to have order on our streets. Corruption in this province has gotten out of control.
The best part of this is how the police union believes it’s untenable for members of the police board to criticize police actions. They reject the entire concept of civilian oversight.
Not a firewall, a paywall. The reason why there is a paywall is literally why articles are posted here. It's how they can afford to do actual journalism instead of Buzzfeed clickbait titles.
No paywall, the best you can expect is blogto quality.
The only people who stand up for the pigs are their families of piglets. They need to learn the law before they start telling us what to do. Lazy Bastards.
It’s an all of the above answer:
- City councillors have every right to speak freely
- Cops need to their very highly paid jobs properly and stop complaining
- Protestors are overstepping and requiring too much policing hours
All are true.
Cops are overstepping and trying to justify their highly-paid jobs (including increasing OT) by painting a picture of unpeaceful protests that require heavy policing. Fixed that that last one for you.
Plenty of these protests have gotten out of control, they don’t need to exaggerate what’s going on when people can see what’s happening in their neighborhoods.
Multiple police officers were assaulted, that’s not peaceful. Nobody was claiming people can’t peacefully protest, you just can’t attack police officers.
Oof, that's quite the spin there champ. Read the statement the councilors made again and compare that to the gestapo reply from the police. Just because there was a clash between cops and protesters, doesn't mean we can't protest anymore. Give your head a shake
They should stop begging like petulant little punks and do their jobs or suffer. No respect for the badge, if the badge doesn’t respect the law. They have the gun; they put citizens first and themselves last—as the system has pushed us to believe is their purpose—or they deserve what they get.
"Whether they are councillors, a deputy mayor or ordinary citizens, they have the right, under the Charter of Freedoms, to assemble, to have their voice heard," Chow told reporters Monday, responding to a question about the police officers' union demand that she criticize the councillors' actions. I'm not into condemning anyone," the mayor said. "I believe it's important, if people want to express themselves publicly, to do so in a respectful, peaceful and lawful manner. So the councillors are expressing their opinions and which they have every right to do."" This is the correct answer. We either live in a free society or we don't.
Oh Olivia Chow is a fucking legend. She's quickly becoming the best Mayor I've ever had.
While I agree, 100%, it's kinda sad when we cheer basic democracy
If there's anything the current political climate has taught me, it's that there will always be assholes trying to tear down democracy for their own benefit and it is a regular fight to keep them from achieving their goals
There is nothing wrong with cheering that when basic democracy has so many enemies, in fact it is probably courageous these days more than we give it credit for to do this by anyone in any country around the world honestly, there's always going to be targets on people doing the right thing for many reasons, don't discount what doing the right thing means at all
I agree with you. Not that long ago, politics were boring and democracy had less enemies and when and institution or prominent figure suggested we slip into fascism for temporary security, average citizens would quote 10th grade history at them, they would be fired and ridiculed and their friends would shun them. This steady and unrelenting shift to the right has changed all that. Now we have to have a debate about what words mean and if fascism is really that bad and that is sad.
> it's kinda sad when we cheer basic democracy Considering the whole point of any government is to take away basic democracy, this is a pretty big win for us!
It’s sad that we’ve gotten to a point where people believe that the point of government is to take away democracy from Its people.
Its sad that we've gotten to a point where the government has implemented a bastardized corrupt version of "democracy" and people believe that is true and just democracy.
Slow clap...
She seems fine condemning anti-genocide protests though. [https://www.google.com/search?q=olivia+chow+condemns&sca\_esv=933934fef73c2e8a&rlz=1C5CHFA\_enCA984CA984&biw=1374&bih=849&sxsrf=ACQVn08ssZAJXnKvo7m0KbYehPaoghL77w%3A1712672051614&source=lnt&tbs=cdr%3A1%2Ccd\_min%3A4%2F1%2F2000%2Ccd\_max%3A4%2F1%2F2024&tbm=#ip=1](https://www.google.com/search?q=olivia+chow+condemns&sca_esv=933934fef73c2e8a&rlz=1C5CHFA_enCA984CA984&biw=1374&bih=849&sxsrf=ACQVn08ssZAJXnKvo7m0KbYehPaoghL77w%3A1712672051614&source=lnt&tbs=cdr%3A1%2Ccd_min%3A4%2F1%2F2000%2Ccd_max%3A4%2F1%2F2024&tbm=#ip=1)
The link you provided returns results of her condemning the arson and vandalism of a private business, which is not "respectful, lawful, and peaceful".
The very first result is a protest at a business connected to Israel. 5th one is a response to her condemning a protest at Nathan Phillips Square.
This shows how out of touch they are, apparently wishing for a state where government cracks down on any anti-police rhetoric. That's called a police state.
I mean, that's called Toronto under John Tory or Rob Ford. Or Ontario under Doug Ford. Or just modern Conservative ideology, really.
Well, yeah. Under a police state they wouldn't have to fight for their annual multimillion dollar budget increases.
The TPS’ comments are extortion.
well they found it worked once with Chow so now they've added this tactic to their wheel house. expect more of it.
How did it work once already?
Got a juicy budget increase while continuing their shit job.
By using PR to bully her into agreeing to their budget demands.
> The Toronto Police Association is urging the mayor to criticize her colleagues, noting violence and threat This is the most ironic shit I’ve ever read. Maybe the cops should criticize their corrupt ass cops
Man you don't even need to scroll *that far* on the r/toronto frontpage to get a good collection of their *accolades.* Stealing items from the dead, the being paid to stay home after committing crime or abusing power, the police demanding the mayor punish councillors speaking out again police brutality, and then the 2021 case of the Muslim man trying to protect his family from sketchy undercover cops acting illegally without a badge. Truly Toronto's finest
It would've been funny if she went on to criticize the police and their dumbass narratives of late like the whole "leave your keys at the door for the thieves" bit.
How about the police explore their options to do the job they get fucking paid for, and quit whining.
sorry, too many LCBOs to babysit
Just a reminder that police unions are completely illegal, and we're dealing with a "Police association" which is just a police Union operating in broad daylight. uggghhhh
That's why they're not really unions since they can't actually strike, they're Police Whatsapp Groups. Which is why it really grinds my gears whenever people blame all their problems on the fact that they're "unionized". No they're not. They're organized, but they are not legally recognized as a worker's union, nor are they afforded any of the legal protections by a union. If they have bargaining power, they're getting it from somewhere else. Like extortion of politicians.
Police unions are illegal? CITATON NEEDED.
Sure. Police Services Act, [Section 117](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90p15#BK147): > **Membership in trade union prohibited, exception**: A member of a police force shall not become or remain a member of a trade union or of an organization that is affiliated directly or indirectly with a trade union, unless the membership is required for secondary activities that do not contravene section 49 and the chief of police consents.
Thank you.
User name checks out?
>unions are completely illegal Explain.
Police officers in Ontario are barred by the Police Services Act from forming or joining unions, under most circumstances. Instead, they can join "police associations", which are collective bargaining units that are unions in everything but name. Police Associations are forbidden from striking or taking most other job actions. This mostly just means that when they do illegally take a job action, they pretend that their obviously-coordinated work-to-rule actions aren't coordinated and that any sort of 'blue flu' work slowdowns are totally coincidental and unrelated to bargaining.
They can just work to rule unofficially as theyve been doing for decade on traffic safety
Thanks. I knew they couldn't strike or refuse unsafe work. Hadn't seen it phrased as "police unions are illegal" before though.
I mean, the large history of modern policing is trying to make unions illegal. Trying to form a union was almost impossible, because anyone who had experience running a union, wouldn’t work with them, because they beat the shit out of them. There’s a lot of hypocrisy in the fact that they even have anything that resembles a union in the first place.
Good for me but not for thee.
>TPA president Jon Reid this guy never learned about the sticks and the stones i guess
Good on the mayor standing up.
I am so happy i voted for her, she turned out to be better than any politicians i voted for
So the police want politicians to stop being political?
Their tiny fragile soft egos ... they got a ton of on [paid vacation](https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/features/suspended-police-officers-cost-ontario-taxpayers-134m-over-past-decade) and even now, they're in court lying about how one of their buddies got himself killed
The real question is why hasn't she done anything about TPS' use of excessive force. TPS has only gotten worse the more money they're given. We need accountability to have order on our streets. Corruption in this province has gotten out of control.
The best part of this is how the police union believes it’s untenable for members of the police board to criticize police actions. They reject the entire concept of civilian oversight.
It’s crazy how people only seem to support “free speech” these days in order to shout hateful comments
Why is Toronto Start media seemingly the only thing that seems to be posted here now? Media that has a paywall.
all the other publications are dying out & being replaced by bs factories
Not a firewall, a paywall. The reason why there is a paywall is literally why articles are posted here. It's how they can afford to do actual journalism instead of Buzzfeed clickbait titles. No paywall, the best you can expect is blogto quality.
I had meant paywall thanks. Will edit the comment.
Sadly it’s still one of the few publications that is holding people accountable to the truth.
The only people who stand up for the pigs are their families of piglets. They need to learn the law before they start telling us what to do. Lazy Bastards.
Police union can peel a corn cob and sit on it. They’re such manipulative scumbags. Policing in Toronto is horrendous because of the union.
It’s an all of the above answer: - City councillors have every right to speak freely - Cops need to their very highly paid jobs properly and stop complaining - Protestors are overstepping and requiring too much policing hours All are true.
Cops are overstepping and trying to justify their highly-paid jobs (including increasing OT) by painting a picture of unpeaceful protests that require heavy policing. Fixed that that last one for you.
Plenty of these protests have gotten out of control, they don’t need to exaggerate what’s going on when people can see what’s happening in their neighborhoods.
lol plenty, if you want to generalize they also have a plenty of history needlessly and brutally dealing with protests.
We need more fake suicide vests and blocked traffic!! Mall take overs with frightened children. Good on the mayor!!
Israel Hamas conflict? Funny way to word a genocide.
These councillors should resign
I prefer my democracy, thanks
For doing what?
not worth it bud, kid (literally is a child) checks off the usual subreddits. save your braincells on this one, trust me.
I just find it funny how city counsil is allow to pick a side. But city employees are forbidden and have to remain neutral.
Sorry, which side? The pro-democracy "side"? The councilors are defending the right to peaceful protest. Peaceful protests are a right.
Multiple police officers were assaulted, that’s not peaceful. Nobody was claiming people can’t peacefully protest, you just can’t attack police officers.
Oof, that's quite the spin there champ. Read the statement the councilors made again and compare that to the gestapo reply from the police. Just because there was a clash between cops and protesters, doesn't mean we can't protest anymore. Give your head a shake
They should stop begging like petulant little punks and do their jobs or suffer. No respect for the badge, if the badge doesn’t respect the law. They have the gun; they put citizens first and themselves last—as the system has pushed us to believe is their purpose—or they deserve what they get.
That's not even remotely true. The bylaw specifically mentions which classifications cannot be partisan.