The leaders of the 20 richest countries will be holding their G20 summit meetings in Toronto this June. At these meetings major decisions affecting the future of this planet will be made behind closed-doors by a select few.

Summits such as these have typically been met with widespread resistance, massive protests, and direct action wherever they go. Last year's G20 summit in Pittsburgh saw the city turn into a war zone with riot cops and protesters clashing in the streets. This June will likely carry that tradition forward. While the government of Canada is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to turn a large chunk of downtown Toronto into a restricted security zone, citizens of Toronto are organizing a community mobilization to confront the G20 when it arrives. Organizers of the mobilization charge that these “leaders” are “meeting to make decisions that will result in more exploitation of people and the environment.”

Several Torontonians are concerned about what they are calling a “police state” in Toronto for the duration of the summit. As Toronto police officer Ed Boltuc stated at a press conference, “There's going to be a massive — absolutely massive — presence of police and security on the ground like you've never seen before.” To get to some places in Toronto you will need to pass checkpoints at three metrehigh fences, go through five layers of security screening, and even walk through X-ray body scanners.

City officials pleaded with the federal government to host this meeting somewhere else in order to avoid the disruptions it would cause to local residents.

The G20 summit will be taking place in the heart of downtown Toronto at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from June 25 to 27 and it is expected that the biggest and most disruptive protests Ontario has seen in a very long time will take place.