Toronto Star

For domestic unrest

DISASTER TRAINING Purpose of this exercise is to condition the public, police and military to accept the coming fascism

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Re Troops rehearse for disaster Dec. 5.

This headline is misleading. It should have read, “ Troops rehearse for future police state.” While the article mentions a disaster scenario involving terrorists, truck bombs, destroyed buildings and a power blackout, it does not mention any exercises dealing with these events. They didn’t practise search and rescue, restoring power, or evacuation. They didn’t practice a simulated terrorist attack. Instead, the exercise focused on crowd control. The fake protestors were given a script that included lines like, “Give us the drugs,” and “ I pay your paycheque.” In a disaster or terrorist attack, why would people chant, “ Give us the drugs?” Are they asking for crack and ecstasy? Or could they be “ demanding” a vaccine or antidote that’s being withheld from them? The “ mob” is also referred to as “ protestors.” If this is a disaster or terrorist scenario, what are they protesting?

Clearly, this is not about disaster or terrorism, its about handling domestic unrest. The purpose of this exercise is to condition the public, police and the military to accept the coming fascism that Paul Bigioni recently wrote about in your paper.

This type of exercise has been quietly going on in America too. Last week, officials upped the ante. The following is not an exercise, it is real. Associated Press reported that Miami police announced they would begin staging random shows of force by surroundin­g a hotel, bank, or other public place to “ keep terrorists guessing and remind people to be vigilant.” Deputy Police Chief Frank Fernandez said officers might, for example, surround a bank building, check the IDs of everyone going in and out and hand out leaflets about terror threats.

If this is not a hallmark of a police state, I don’t know what is. If we allow this to spread, we can all kiss our freedom goodbye. Jon Bojicic, Maple

 ?? RENE JOHNSTON/STAR FILE PHOTO ?? Riot police clash with fake protestors in a vacant lot on Commission­er’s St. Sunday as they practise emergency response strategy.
RENE JOHNSTON/STAR FILE PHOTO Riot police clash with fake protestors in a vacant lot on Commission­er’s St. Sunday as they practise emergency response strategy.

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