Really freaking important note about your rights during the G20

[mycrazyhair]

Okay, so you know that the usual rule is that the police can't just stop you on the street and ask you to provide identification or explain what you're doing? Well, under the Ontario Public Works Protection Act, there has always been an exception for people who go on railroads, gasworks, waterworks, electrical generation power works, or other "public works" as defined in the Act.

The rule, in a public work, is that you have to "comply with a request or direction" made by a "guard" who has been designated under the Act. This includes a request to provide identification or leave the area. If you don't, you will be subject to a fine of up to $500 or up to two months in prison.

Well the bloody government has gone and designated a big chunk of downtown Toronto as a public work for the next three days!

From now until June 28th, if you refuse to provide identification while you're in the zone, or refuse to "comply with a request or direction" made by a guard under the Public Works Protection Act, then you can go to jail for up to two months and be liable to a fine of up to $500.

I am so angry I cannot begin to explain it. Those buggers have passed a new regulation with penal consequences without bloody well publishing it in the Ontario Gazette. They're planning to publish it NEXT WEEK after it bloody well expires. I am furious.

The whole theory behind the rule that "ignorance of the law is no excuse" is that the laws are out there, published, and you're supposed to keep up with the ones that apply to you.

I'm not even sure this regulation is constitutional. But it's currently in effect, and the police will be acting on it. So be aware: if you're in the following area, you have to do what the nice officers say, or they can haul you away and put you in a cage

I'm having some difficulty interpreting exactly what the new regulation means, so you may want to look at it yourself. Here it is. (This is the cached google html version but you can also download the file here.)

The regulation says that the new rule applies to any "public works" (as described in section 1(a) of the Act) including all sidewalks within the following area:

• Beginning at the curb at the southeast corner of Blue Jays Way and Front Street West;
• then north to the centre of Front Street West;
• then east along the centre of Front Street West to the east curb of Windsor Street;
• then north along the east curb of Windsor Street to the centre of Wellington Street;
• then east along the centre of Wellington Street to the centre of Bay Street;
• then south along the centre of Bay Street to a point directly opposite the north wall of Union Station;
• then west along the exterior of the north wall of Union Station to the centre of York Street;
• then south along the centre of York Street, continuing east of the abutments under the railway overpass, and continuing south along the centre of York Street to the centre of Bremner Boulevard;
• then west along the centre of Bremner Boulevard to the east curb of Lower Simcoe Street;
• then south along the east curb of Lower Simcoe Street to the north curb of Lake Shore Boulevard West;
• then west along the north curb of Lake Shore Boulevard West to the south end of the walkway that is located immediately west of the John Street Pumping Station and runs between Lake Shore Boulevard West and the bus parking lot of the Rogers Centre;
• then north along the west edge of that walkway to the bus parking lot of the Rogers Centre;
• then west along the south edge of the bus parking lot of the Rogers Centre to the west edge of the driveway running between the parking lot and Bremner Boulevard;
• then north along the west edge of that driveway to the north curb of Bremner Boulevard;
• then west along the north curb of Bremner Boulevard to the east curb of Navy Wharf Court;
• then north along the east curb of Navy Wharf Court to the southwest point of the building known as 73 Navy Wharf Court;
• then east along the exterior of the south wall of that building;
• then north along the exterior of the east wall of that building to the curb of Blue Jays Way;
• then north along the east curb of Blue Jays Way to the curb at the southeast corner of Blue Jays Way and Front Street West.

And, in addition to this, the new regulation defines the following as public works:

1. The area, within the area described in Schedule 1, that is within five metres of a line drawn as follows:
   • Beginning at the south end of the walkway that is located immediately west of the John Street Pumping Station and runs between Lake Shore Boulevard West and the bus parking lot of the Rogers Centre;
   • then north along the west edge of that walkway to the bus parking lot of the Rogers Centre;
   • then west along the south edge of the bus parking lot of the Rogers Centre to the west edge of the driveway running between the parking lot and Bremner Boulevard;
   • then north along the west edge of that driveway and ending at Bremner Boulevard.
2. The area, within the area described in Schedule 1, that is within five metres of a line drawn as follows:
   • Beginning at the southwest point of the building known as 73 Navy Wharf Court;
   • then east along the exterior of the south wall of that building;
   • then north along the exterior of the east wall of that building and ending at the curb of Blue Jays Way.
3. The below-grade driveway located between Union Station and Front Street West and running between Bay Street and York Street in the City of Toronto.

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