Whose Streets?: The Toronto G20 and the Challenges of Summit Protest

by Tom Malleson (Editor), David Wachsmuth (Editor), Naomi Klein (Foreword)

In June 2010 activists opposing the G20 meeting held in Toronto were greeted with brutal and arbitrary state violence. Whose Streets? is a combination of testimonials from the front lines and analyses of the broader context, an account that both reflects critically on what occurred in Toronto and looks ahead to further building our capacity for resistance. Featuring reflections from activists who helped organize the mobilizations, demonstrators and passersby who were arbitrarily arrested and detained, and scholars committed to the theory and practice of confronting neoliberal capitalism, the collection balances critical perspective with on-the-street intensity. It offers vital insight for activists on how local organizing and global activism can come together.

324 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 11, 2011

About the author

I was born in London, England, and grew up in Canada. I received a PhD in Political Theory and Political Economy from the University of Toronto in 2012. I am currently Assistant Professor in the Social Justice and Peace Studies program at King's University College at Western University.

My research interests are interdisciplinary, crisscrossing contemporary political theory, feminist theory, political economy, philosophy, and sociology. One strand of research revolves around the study of Real Utopias, which are institutions designed to be both normatively emancipatory and empirically grounded. My interests in this area include economic democracy, the solidarity economy, basic income, participatory budgeting, carbon taxes, universal caregiving, and so on. Another strand of research focuses on contemporary debates over distributive justice, with interest in questions of egalitarianism, economic desert, autonomy, time sovereignty, and the culture of consumerism.

I am also a longtime anti-authoritarian social justice activist and organizer, and have been active for over ten years with migrant justice, anti-poverty, global justice, anti-war, and solidarity economy groups.

Reviews

[Alexandra Sproule · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone living in Toronto, this was a really interesting account of recent history. This book contains eye-witness accounts, reflections, and essays from people involved in the G20 Summit Protest movement. It contains a variety of perspectives from within the movement.

I remember watching G20 protests on TV the summer after I finished high school and not really understanding what was going on, except people were saying it was dangerous to go downtown and everyone there was getting arrested. These stories are in part a reminder of how of how easily the state can turn to abusive and militarized powers when that switch is flicked. It's also so valuable to hear the reflections from different types of people involved in a summit protest, many of whom continue to do community organizing work in Toronto today.

[Rachele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the sections written by Tammy Kovich and Clare O'Connor in particular. Both were nuanced and pushed discussions about topics - like the uses and framing of "community" within grassroots organizing and deconstructing the typical arguments pitting non-violent action vs what could be perceived as "violent" direct action - well into badly needed and refreshing places. Both authours left me with many lingering thoughts on the ways in which we can and should build stronger movements for justice in the face of a violent state bent on serving corporate interests above all else.