AT&T Inc. is raising the fees it charges buyers of the iPhone and other smart phones if they break their two-year contracts, while lowering them for "dumb" phones to better align the fees with their real costs.
Starting June 1, smart-phone buyers will have to pay $325 for breaking their contract, up from $175 currently. For buyers of regular phones, the fee is being decreased by $25 to $150.
The early termination fee goes down for every month customers stay in their contract — by $10 for smart phones and $4 for regular phones. So if a smart phone contract is broken after two months, the termination fee is reduced by $20 to $305.
The changes only apply to new contracts and renewals.
Dallas-based AT&T charges customers $199 for the latest model of the iPhone, but pays Apple Inc. far more than that. AT&T makes the subsidy back through the customer's service fees over the two-year contract period. AT&T likely loses money for every customer that breaks a contract and pays a $175 termination fee, but may break even with the new, higher fee.
Meanwhile, simpler phones may cost AT&T only $125 to buy, meaning that a $175 termination fee is excessive.
Following the same logic, Verizon Wireless doubled its smart-phone termination fees in November, from $175 to $350. Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA still charge the same termination fees for all types of phones: $200. All three also pro-rate the fees for customers who leave later in their contracts.
The Federal Communications Commission has questioned Verizon Wireless about the higher termination fees for smart phone users, but hasn't taken any action. The pro-rating of the fees came about after the carriers settled several class-action lawsuits by customers who found it unfair that they paid the full termination fee when breaking a contract after nearly two years.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
WILL US GOVT. PROCESS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS REFERRED BY ARIZONA !!
A top Department of Homeland Security official reportedly said his agency will not necessarily process illegal immigrants referred to them by Arizona authorities.
John Morton, assistant secretary of homeland security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, made the comment during a meeting on Wednesday with the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune, the newspaper reports.
"I don't think the Arizona law, or laws like it, are the solution," Morton told the newspaper.
The best way to reduce illegal immigration is through a comprehensive federal approach, he said, and not a patchwork of state laws.
John Morton, assistant secretary of homeland security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, made the comment during a meeting on Wednesday with the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune, the newspaper reports.
"I don't think the Arizona law, or laws like it, are the solution," Morton told the newspaper.
The best way to reduce illegal immigration is through a comprehensive federal approach, he said, and not a patchwork of state laws.
Friday, May 21, 2010
COP MURDERS IN ARKANSAS FRAME UP OF THE PATRIOT MOVEMENT
It seems that there is a black-out and coverup of the news about the patriot movement.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
FANNIE MAE'S NEW LAW
Lenders likely to order second, last-minute credit report before closing on a mortgage
Changes taking effect June 1 are part of Fannie Mae's 'loan quality initiative' to cut down on slipshod underwriting and fraud by borrowers.
If you're thinking about applying for a home mortgage this year, here's some important news: Beginning June 1, your lender is likely to order a second full credit screening immediately before closing.
The last-minute credit report will be designed to find out whether you've obtained — or even shopped for — new debt between the date of your loan application and the closing. If you've made applications for credit of any type — for furnishings and appliances for the new house, a car, landscaping, a home equity line, a new credit card — the closing could be put on hold pending additional research by the lender.
If you've taken out new loans that are sizable enough to affect the debt-to-income ratio calculations used in your original mortgage approval, the deal could fall through. The added debt load could render you ineligible for the mortgage because you suddenly appear unable to handle the payments without a strain on your household budget.
The June 1 changes are part of a new effort by mortgage giant Fannie Mae to cut down on slipshod underwriting by lenders and frauds by borrowers. Fannie's so-called "loan quality initiative" will require lenders not only to pull two credit reports for each mortgage transaction but to perform additional verifications of borrower occupancy plans for the property, Social Security numbers and Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers, among other changes.
"There's an almost irresistible urge" for many mortgage borrowers to spend, said Don Unger, chief executive of Advantage Credit Inc. of Evergreen, Colo. "The lender says, 'OK, you're approved for the loan,' and you immediately think about shopping for all the things you need for the house."
Borrowers may go to a retailer and put in a credit application. In the past, that might not have raised an eyebrow, or even been detected. But under the new double-check policy, when the application shows up as a "hard" or borrower-initiated inquiry on a credit report, Unger said, the lender is going to have to contact the merchant and determine whether credit was extended, in what amount and how this might affect the applicant's home-financing transaction.
Terry Clemans, executive director of the National Credit Reporting Assn., recalls one case where home buyers "went out and gorged on $40,000 worth of new furniture and all types of stuff" after their loan approval — resulting in monthly payments far beyond what they could afford. Under the new policy, they'd probably be shot down before closing.
As a practical matter, some lenders are likely to ask their credit-reporting vendors to perform the investigations when new debts or inquiries pop up on borrowers' files. Fannie Mae's instructions say that "lenders must determine that all debts of the borrower incurred or closed up to and concurrent with the closing" are considered in the final loan analysis.
Changes taking effect June 1 are part of Fannie Mae's 'loan quality initiative' to cut down on slipshod underwriting and fraud by borrowers.
If you're thinking about applying for a home mortgage this year, here's some important news: Beginning June 1, your lender is likely to order a second full credit screening immediately before closing.
The last-minute credit report will be designed to find out whether you've obtained — or even shopped for — new debt between the date of your loan application and the closing. If you've made applications for credit of any type — for furnishings and appliances for the new house, a car, landscaping, a home equity line, a new credit card — the closing could be put on hold pending additional research by the lender.
If you've taken out new loans that are sizable enough to affect the debt-to-income ratio calculations used in your original mortgage approval, the deal could fall through. The added debt load could render you ineligible for the mortgage because you suddenly appear unable to handle the payments without a strain on your household budget.
The June 1 changes are part of a new effort by mortgage giant Fannie Mae to cut down on slipshod underwriting by lenders and frauds by borrowers. Fannie's so-called "loan quality initiative" will require lenders not only to pull two credit reports for each mortgage transaction but to perform additional verifications of borrower occupancy plans for the property, Social Security numbers and Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers, among other changes.
"There's an almost irresistible urge" for many mortgage borrowers to spend, said Don Unger, chief executive of Advantage Credit Inc. of Evergreen, Colo. "The lender says, 'OK, you're approved for the loan,' and you immediately think about shopping for all the things you need for the house."
Borrowers may go to a retailer and put in a credit application. In the past, that might not have raised an eyebrow, or even been detected. But under the new double-check policy, when the application shows up as a "hard" or borrower-initiated inquiry on a credit report, Unger said, the lender is going to have to contact the merchant and determine whether credit was extended, in what amount and how this might affect the applicant's home-financing transaction.
Terry Clemans, executive director of the National Credit Reporting Assn., recalls one case where home buyers "went out and gorged on $40,000 worth of new furniture and all types of stuff" after their loan approval — resulting in monthly payments far beyond what they could afford. Under the new policy, they'd probably be shot down before closing.
As a practical matter, some lenders are likely to ask their credit-reporting vendors to perform the investigations when new debts or inquiries pop up on borrowers' files. Fannie Mae's instructions say that "lenders must determine that all debts of the borrower incurred or closed up to and concurrent with the closing" are considered in the final loan analysis.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
MANY TAX-EXEMPT NON-PROFITS MAY LOSE STATUS
More than 200,000 small nonprofits across the nation are days away from losing their tax-exempt status because they haven't filed a new form with the Internal Revenue Service.
Many of these groups already operate on razor-thin budgets and some worry an unexpected tax bill could force organizations to close.
"The nonprofits in your backyards, some of them are going to be gone," said Suzanne Coffman, a spokeswoman for GuideStar, which tracks data on nonprofits.
It's most likely the nonprofits aren't aware of the Monday deadline that only applies to groups that report $25,000 or less in income, excluding churches. Those organizations may not find out until Jan. 1, 2011, when they're notified they have to pay taxes on donations they thought were exempt. And it could be months before their nonprofit status is restored.
Congress required the form, called a 990-N, when it amended the tax code three years ago and groups with a fiscal year ending Dec. 31 had until Monday to meet the deadline.
The Urban Institute's National Center for Charitable Statistics, which conducts economic and social policy research, estimated Friday that 214,000 nonprofit organizations haven't filed the form as required.
Tom Pollak, program director for the center, said organizations that lose their tax-exempt status are no longer eligible to receive tax-deductible donations and are not likely to be awarded grants.
Donors who give to the organizations that lose their status will be able to receive tax-deductions on gifts until January because the revocations won't be public until then.
Many of these groups already operate on razor-thin budgets and some worry an unexpected tax bill could force organizations to close.
"The nonprofits in your backyards, some of them are going to be gone," said Suzanne Coffman, a spokeswoman for GuideStar, which tracks data on nonprofits.
It's most likely the nonprofits aren't aware of the Monday deadline that only applies to groups that report $25,000 or less in income, excluding churches. Those organizations may not find out until Jan. 1, 2011, when they're notified they have to pay taxes on donations they thought were exempt. And it could be months before their nonprofit status is restored.
Congress required the form, called a 990-N, when it amended the tax code three years ago and groups with a fiscal year ending Dec. 31 had until Monday to meet the deadline.
The Urban Institute's National Center for Charitable Statistics, which conducts economic and social policy research, estimated Friday that 214,000 nonprofit organizations haven't filed the form as required.
Tom Pollak, program director for the center, said organizations that lose their tax-exempt status are no longer eligible to receive tax-deductible donations and are not likely to be awarded grants.
Donors who give to the organizations that lose their status will be able to receive tax-deductions on gifts until January because the revocations won't be public until then.
Friday, May 14, 2010
THE U.S. ALLOWED DRILLING WITHOUT NEEDED PERMITS
The federal Minerals Management Service gave permission to BP and dozens of other oil companies to drill in the Gulf of Mexico without first getting required permits from another agency that assesses threats to endangered species — and despite strong warnings from that agency about the impact the drilling was likely to have on the gulf.
Those approvals, federal records show, include one for the well drilled by the Deepwater Horizon rig, which exploded on April 20, killing 11 workers and resulting in thousands of barrels of oil spilling into the gulf each day.
The Minerals Management Service, or M.M.S., also routinely overruled its staff biologists and engineers who raised concerns about the safety and the environmental impact of certain drilling proposals in the gulf and in Alaska, according to a half-dozen current and former agency scientists.
Those scientists said they were also regularly pressured by agency officials to change the findings of their internal studies if they predicted that an accident was likely to occur or if wildlife might be harmed.
Under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Minerals Management Service is required to get permits to allow drilling where it might harm endangered species or marine mammals.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is partly responsible for protecting endangered species and marine mammals. It has said on repeated occasions that drilling in the gulf affects these animals, but the minerals agency since January 2009 has approved at least three huge lease sales, 103 seismic blasting projects and 346 drilling plans. Agency records also show that permission for those projects and plans was granted without getting the permits required under federal law.
“M.M.S. has given up any pretense of regulating the offshore oil industry,” said Kierán Suckling, director of the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental advocacy group in Tucson, which filed notice of intent to sue the agency over its noncompliance with federal law concerning endangered species. “The agency seems to think its mission is to help the oil industry evade environmental laws.”
Kendra Barkoff, a spokeswoman for the Minerals Management Service, said her agency had full consultations with NOAA about endangered species in the gulf. But she declined to respond to additional questions about whether her agency had obtained the relevant permits.
Federal records indicate that these consultations ended with NOAA instructing the minerals agency that continued drilling in the gulf was harming endangered marine mammals and that the agency needed to get permits to be in compliance with federal law.
Responding to the accusations that agency scientists were being silenced, Ms. Barkoff added, “Under the previous administration, there was a pattern of suppressing science in decisions, and we are working very hard to change the culture and empower scientists in the Department of the Interior.”
Those approvals, federal records show, include one for the well drilled by the Deepwater Horizon rig, which exploded on April 20, killing 11 workers and resulting in thousands of barrels of oil spilling into the gulf each day.
The Minerals Management Service, or M.M.S., also routinely overruled its staff biologists and engineers who raised concerns about the safety and the environmental impact of certain drilling proposals in the gulf and in Alaska, according to a half-dozen current and former agency scientists.
Those scientists said they were also regularly pressured by agency officials to change the findings of their internal studies if they predicted that an accident was likely to occur or if wildlife might be harmed.
Under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Minerals Management Service is required to get permits to allow drilling where it might harm endangered species or marine mammals.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is partly responsible for protecting endangered species and marine mammals. It has said on repeated occasions that drilling in the gulf affects these animals, but the minerals agency since January 2009 has approved at least three huge lease sales, 103 seismic blasting projects and 346 drilling plans. Agency records also show that permission for those projects and plans was granted without getting the permits required under federal law.
“M.M.S. has given up any pretense of regulating the offshore oil industry,” said Kierán Suckling, director of the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental advocacy group in Tucson, which filed notice of intent to sue the agency over its noncompliance with federal law concerning endangered species. “The agency seems to think its mission is to help the oil industry evade environmental laws.”
Kendra Barkoff, a spokeswoman for the Minerals Management Service, said her agency had full consultations with NOAA about endangered species in the gulf. But she declined to respond to additional questions about whether her agency had obtained the relevant permits.
Federal records indicate that these consultations ended with NOAA instructing the minerals agency that continued drilling in the gulf was harming endangered marine mammals and that the agency needed to get permits to be in compliance with federal law.
Responding to the accusations that agency scientists were being silenced, Ms. Barkoff added, “Under the previous administration, there was a pattern of suppressing science in decisions, and we are working very hard to change the culture and empower scientists in the Department of the Interior.”
Thursday, May 13, 2010
UNFAIR CREDIT CARD COMPANIES NAMED
Hidden details about the interest charged on partly-paid or overdue credit card balances is unfairly costing customers, consumer advocate group Choice says.
A study of 20 credit card companies showed the amount of interest charged on a credit card can depend as much on when a provider stops and starts charging interest and how fairly they apply interest-free days as the actual advertised interest rate.
American Express, Bankwest, Commonwealth Bank, ANZ and Westpac were named as the most unfair credit card providers.
"Many consumers would be surprised to learn they could have two cards with exactly the same interest rate and use them in the same way yet have one charging twice as much interest than the other if they pay late," Choice spokesman Christopher Azine said.
"The tricks of the trade make it much harder to compare the relative merits of different credit cards because the headline interest rate is only part of the story."
Most credit card companies backdate their interest to the date of the purchase if a repayment is late, Choice said, meaning just one day late can result in higher interest being charged retrospectively for up to 55 days.
Partial repayments are also unlikely to stop that backdating occurring, Choice said.
For example if a customer were to underpay a $2000 bill by just $10, the extra interest would still be charged on the whole $2000.
Mr Azine called on all credit card providers to use the same charging methods, and for customers to be aware of the finer details.
"It's a simple matter to tweak systems to employ fairer systems but while most customers don't understand the tricks they will inevitably continue," he said.
A study of 20 credit card companies showed the amount of interest charged on a credit card can depend as much on when a provider stops and starts charging interest and how fairly they apply interest-free days as the actual advertised interest rate.
American Express, Bankwest, Commonwealth Bank, ANZ and Westpac were named as the most unfair credit card providers.
"Many consumers would be surprised to learn they could have two cards with exactly the same interest rate and use them in the same way yet have one charging twice as much interest than the other if they pay late," Choice spokesman Christopher Azine said.
"The tricks of the trade make it much harder to compare the relative merits of different credit cards because the headline interest rate is only part of the story."
Most credit card companies backdate their interest to the date of the purchase if a repayment is late, Choice said, meaning just one day late can result in higher interest being charged retrospectively for up to 55 days.
Partial repayments are also unlikely to stop that backdating occurring, Choice said.
For example if a customer were to underpay a $2000 bill by just $10, the extra interest would still be charged on the whole $2000.
Mr Azine called on all credit card providers to use the same charging methods, and for customers to be aware of the finer details.
"It's a simple matter to tweak systems to employ fairer systems but while most customers don't understand the tricks they will inevitably continue," he said.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
CHINA CARMAKER OPENS HEADQUARTERS IN LOS ANGELES
A rapidly expanding manufacturer of all-electric cars, solar panels and other green products from China announced Friday it will open a North American headquarters in Los Angeles, with plans to begin selling autos in the U.S. by the end of the year.
City officials said the arrival of BYD Inc. of Shenzhen, China, will initially create about 150 high-paying jobs as the company hires managers, designers and engineers to staff the new downtown headquarters. As it begins to market cars in the United States, officials expect several hundred more jobs to be created in related industries involving service and sales
City officials said the arrival of BYD Inc. of Shenzhen, China, will initially create about 150 high-paying jobs as the company hires managers, designers and engineers to staff the new downtown headquarters. As it begins to market cars in the United States, officials expect several hundred more jobs to be created in related industries involving service and sales
HOUSE FALLS INTO SINKHOLE - FOUR MISSING
Four people, including two children, are missing after a sinkhole triggered by a landslide swallowed their house in Canada.
Officials said on Tuesday that the house partially collapsed on Monday night in Saint-Jude, a town of 1000 near the Yamaska River.
Fire department spokesman Francois Gregoire said the landslide has left a gigantic crater and that the house was quite far from the river before the land gave way, but that part of it ended up in the water.
Gregoire said three cars in front of the house were swept away, as was part of a nearby road.
Gregoire said rescuers were able to partially enter the collapsed house but could not locate the missing man and a woman in their 40s and their children aged about nine and 11.
Officials said on Tuesday that the house partially collapsed on Monday night in Saint-Jude, a town of 1000 near the Yamaska River.
Fire department spokesman Francois Gregoire said the landslide has left a gigantic crater and that the house was quite far from the river before the land gave way, but that part of it ended up in the water.
Gregoire said three cars in front of the house were swept away, as was part of a nearby road.
Gregoire said rescuers were able to partially enter the collapsed house but could not locate the missing man and a woman in their 40s and their children aged about nine and 11.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
CHINESE WORKERS POISONED MAKING CELL PHONES.
Chinese workers poisoned while making your latest gadget
NEXT month, amid the usual hoopla, Apple will unveil its latest gadget: the much-awaited iPhone 4G. Halfway round the globe from the company's California headquarters, a young worker who has spent months in a Chinese hospital wants consumers to look beyond the shiny exterior of such gadgets.
''People should know what we do to create these products and what cost we pay,'' said Bai Bing. She is one of scores of young workers in the city of Suzhou who were poisoned by the chemical n-hexane, which they say was used to clean Apple components including iPhone touch screens.
Wu Mei - who, like the others, asked me to use her nickname - recalled her fear as her health suddenly deteriorated. At first, she thought she was simply tired from the long working hours at Wintek, a Taiwan-owned electronics giant. She was weaker and noticed she could not walk as fast.
''Then it became more and more serious. I found it very hard to go upstairs and if I squatted down I didn't have the strength to get up. Later my hands became numb and I lost my balance - I would fall over if someone touched me.''
By the middle of last year, she was admitted to hospital, where doctors struggled to diagnose the cause. ''I was terrified. I feared I might be paralysed and spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair,'' she said.
Because she was using n-hexane directly, she was one of the first and worst-affected. But more and more workers from the same room were suffering headaches, dizziness and weakness, and pain in their limbs.
An occupational diseases hospital that saw several victims diagnosed the problem in August and Wintek stopped using the chemical. But thanks to the previous months of exposure, at least 62 workers would require medical care. Many spent months in hospital.
Prolonged over-exposure to n-hexane can cause extensive damage to the peripheral nervous system and ultimately the spinal cord, leading to muscular weakness and atrophy and even paralysis, said Paul Whitehead, a toxicology consultant and member of the British Royal Society of Chemistry. It can also affect male fertility. Recovery can take a year or more.
The chemical's potential risks are well known in industry, as are safe exposure limits. But the Wintek manager who decided to switch from alcohol to n-hexane for cleaning - apparently because it dried more quickly - did not assess the dangers. It was used without proper ventilation.
They instantly recognised pictures of an iPhone and said they were cleaning touch screens, adding that items for other brands were not affected because Apple had isolated its production line. A lawyer acting for 44 of the poisoning victims also said several had named Apple.
Wintek, which does not discuss its clients, said it had replaced the factory's general manager. It now notifies workers whose jobs may involve risk in advance, has tightened procedures for the introduction of new chemicals, and carries out medical checks. It has paid medical fees for those affected and says it will pay compensation according to the law.
There is no suggestion that Apple was responsible for the use of n-hexane.
Apple declined to answer questions about the poisonings or about the firms involved, saying it does not reveal who it works with. But a spokeswoman pointed to Apple's code of conduct, which sets strict requirements for working and environmental practices.
Apple's 2010 audit shows that manufacturers are routinely breaching the code. Most - 54 per cent - broke the 60-hour weekly work limit more than half the time. Another 39 per cent failed to meet occupational injury prevention requirements; 17 per cent failed on chemical exposure standards; and 35 per cent did not meet wage and benefits requirements, with 24 of the 102 factories paying less than the minimum wage.
Three facilities used underage workers and three had falsified records. Apple said it terminated the contract in one of the cases, and required suppliers to make improvements and submit to reviews following other breaches.
NEXT month, amid the usual hoopla, Apple will unveil its latest gadget: the much-awaited iPhone 4G. Halfway round the globe from the company's California headquarters, a young worker who has spent months in a Chinese hospital wants consumers to look beyond the shiny exterior of such gadgets.
''People should know what we do to create these products and what cost we pay,'' said Bai Bing. She is one of scores of young workers in the city of Suzhou who were poisoned by the chemical n-hexane, which they say was used to clean Apple components including iPhone touch screens.
Wu Mei - who, like the others, asked me to use her nickname - recalled her fear as her health suddenly deteriorated. At first, she thought she was simply tired from the long working hours at Wintek, a Taiwan-owned electronics giant. She was weaker and noticed she could not walk as fast.
''Then it became more and more serious. I found it very hard to go upstairs and if I squatted down I didn't have the strength to get up. Later my hands became numb and I lost my balance - I would fall over if someone touched me.''
By the middle of last year, she was admitted to hospital, where doctors struggled to diagnose the cause. ''I was terrified. I feared I might be paralysed and spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair,'' she said.
Because she was using n-hexane directly, she was one of the first and worst-affected. But more and more workers from the same room were suffering headaches, dizziness and weakness, and pain in their limbs.
An occupational diseases hospital that saw several victims diagnosed the problem in August and Wintek stopped using the chemical. But thanks to the previous months of exposure, at least 62 workers would require medical care. Many spent months in hospital.
Prolonged over-exposure to n-hexane can cause extensive damage to the peripheral nervous system and ultimately the spinal cord, leading to muscular weakness and atrophy and even paralysis, said Paul Whitehead, a toxicology consultant and member of the British Royal Society of Chemistry. It can also affect male fertility. Recovery can take a year or more.
The chemical's potential risks are well known in industry, as are safe exposure limits. But the Wintek manager who decided to switch from alcohol to n-hexane for cleaning - apparently because it dried more quickly - did not assess the dangers. It was used without proper ventilation.
They instantly recognised pictures of an iPhone and said they were cleaning touch screens, adding that items for other brands were not affected because Apple had isolated its production line. A lawyer acting for 44 of the poisoning victims also said several had named Apple.
Wintek, which does not discuss its clients, said it had replaced the factory's general manager. It now notifies workers whose jobs may involve risk in advance, has tightened procedures for the introduction of new chemicals, and carries out medical checks. It has paid medical fees for those affected and says it will pay compensation according to the law.
There is no suggestion that Apple was responsible for the use of n-hexane.
Apple declined to answer questions about the poisonings or about the firms involved, saying it does not reveal who it works with. But a spokeswoman pointed to Apple's code of conduct, which sets strict requirements for working and environmental practices.
Apple's 2010 audit shows that manufacturers are routinely breaching the code. Most - 54 per cent - broke the 60-hour weekly work limit more than half the time. Another 39 per cent failed to meet occupational injury prevention requirements; 17 per cent failed on chemical exposure standards; and 35 per cent did not meet wage and benefits requirements, with 24 of the 102 factories paying less than the minimum wage.
Three facilities used underage workers and three had falsified records. Apple said it terminated the contract in one of the cases, and required suppliers to make improvements and submit to reviews following other breaches.
Monday, May 3, 2010
PLAN TO KEEP PROTESTORS AWAY FROM G20
CTV News has learned of a plan to try to keep activists far away from the G20 meetings at the Metro Toronto Convention Center this June, by creating a designated protest zone in Trinity Bellwoods Park.
The park is located roughly 2 miles away on Queen Street.
Police spokesperson Meaghan Gray would not say whether officials are expecting violent protests.
“I don’t know what we are expecting,” she told CTV Toronto. “We are strongly encouraging anyone who wants to protest during the G20 to use that location.”
It’s not the first time a designated protest zone has been created for the G20. Last year, police used the same tactic in London.
One woman who lived in London at the time, and who now resides in Toronto near Trinity Bellwoods, says she can understand the reasoning behind the zone.
“It was peaceful and they just camped out there,” she said of the London zone. “But obviously things could escalate, and you don’t want to see horrible things happen.”
Police said they will transmit live video of the protests to world leaders in the Convention Center -- if they choose to watch.
The park is located roughly 2 miles away on Queen Street.
Police spokesperson Meaghan Gray would not say whether officials are expecting violent protests.
“I don’t know what we are expecting,” she told CTV Toronto. “We are strongly encouraging anyone who wants to protest during the G20 to use that location.”
It’s not the first time a designated protest zone has been created for the G20. Last year, police used the same tactic in London.
One woman who lived in London at the time, and who now resides in Toronto near Trinity Bellwoods, says she can understand the reasoning behind the zone.
“It was peaceful and they just camped out there,” she said of the London zone. “But obviously things could escalate, and you don’t want to see horrible things happen.”
Police said they will transmit live video of the protests to world leaders in the Convention Center -- if they choose to watch.
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