Police precipitated Saturday violence by charging protesters on Queen at Spadina

From Slate – Protests at the G20 in Toronto turned ugly on Saturday, with demonstrators setting fire to cars, smashing windows and shutting down the subway system in the city’s financial district. Dozens of arrests after the incident brought the total number for the summit into the hundreds, but the demonstrations were largely peaceful.

“Police were steadily pushing onlookers and protesters away … chanting ‘move’ and rhythmically hitting their batons on their shields. Progress was gradual, and there was no violence,” the Wall Street Journal reported. “Some protesters chanted in the streets while a young woman with a megaphone stood by the police line urging bystanders not to be violent.”

Tensions boiled over on Sunday, however, when 100 or so peaceful protesters gathered outside a film studio-turned-temporary detention center. Officers in plain clothes were attacked after arresting a handful of the protesters, who were chanting “let them go.” “Officers in riot gear set off a warning device that created a cloud of smoke before chasing the group down the street,” the Globe and Mail reported.

“Police grabbed some protesters out of the crowd, throwing them to the ground and dragging them away. Others streamed away from the area, crying. Three stood nearby consoling each other and hugging.” The Huffington Post uploaded a short clip from video journalist Brandon Jourdan that shows police attacking and arresting protesters on Sunday afternoon and Torontoist has a dramatic, ever-growing gallery of photographs from various protests around the city.