The decision to detain

The Star's report on the handling of security at the G20 summit is definitely worth a read on a few fronts, including its repeated revelations about the uncertainty as to who was in charge and its observation that there was significant disagreement even among the police about the tactics used against citizens.

But it's worth noting that the most important questions about direct responsibility for a deliberate decision to lock up civilians without cause have yet to be answered - which is particularly problematic when the police involved still don't seem to accept the problems with that choice:

After what a police source called a heated internal debate, senior officers decided to detain hundreds of people — a jumble of alleged suspects, peaceful protesters and curious onlookers who had drifted too close.

“Quite frankly, a lot of people came down because they wanted to be part of the action,” Blair said. “Instead they became part of the problem.”

Citing an internal police review that is now underway, Blair would not comment on who ordered the corralling. Supts. Ferguson and Fenton, who oversaw the command centre, declined to be interviewed for this story.