Canada Day was last month, a day when we peacefully assemble in our parks and other public venues to celebrate our heritage, demonstrate pride in our accomplishments and proclaim our citizenship.

Just a few days earlier, a peaceful gathering at Queen’s Park was dispersed by riot and mounted police, without reasonable warning, cause or authority.

I am an old man and for the first time in my life I am ashamed to call myself a Canadian. The fiasco in Toronto which billed itself as the 2010 G20 conference caused me to question our right to consider Canada a free and democratic country.

When did we Canadians empower our police forces to enact laws and interpret them? I have always been under the impression that only Parliament was empowered to legislate and only our courts of justice were entitled to interpret those acts and regulations.

Have we, the public, abrogated our rights and responsibilities to individuals who have an overwhelming desire to emulate Third World dictators?

Precious Canadian blood has been spilled winning the freedom we enjoy and take for granted. Was this sacrifice for naught? Surely our ancestors, who fought and died in two world wars and numerous other police actions, will arise from their graves, for if we silently tolerate infringement of our hard-earned freedoms, then we have failed to keep faith with those whose selfless Canadians and we dishonour their memory.

Why do we have a Charter of Rights, habeas corpus, examination for discovery, requirement of a warrant for search and seizure of evidence, the right to legal representation, the right to be immediately informed of any charges against us, the right to trial by a jury of our peers and other common law protections from abuses of authority; if we cannot and (or) do not invoke them, whenever those who have sworn to “serve and protect” choose to act independent of lawful civilian authority and oversight?

When did peacefully demonstrating Canadians become the enemy, to be injured and incarcerated under draconian War Measures Act-like statutes unlawfully enforced?

Were these “enemies of the state” in possession of such devastating weapons that our police, clad in body armour and helmets, armed with shields, batons, tear gas, etc., were legitimately in fear of suffering grievously bodily injury? Did anyone see demonstrators armed with high-powered handguns or rifles loaded with armourpiercing bullets? If so, then I can understand our peace officers’ reluctance to be exposed to potentially deadly force. Where were the grenades, improvised explosive devices, the rocket launchers, machine guns and other equipment which criminals and terrorists employ?

F. Mik, Caledon