As G20 leaders descended on Toronto, police and protesters gathered for what was expected to be the largest day of demonstrations during the summit.

Up to 10,000 protesters were expected to take to the streets of downtown, starting at Queen’s Park at 1 p.m. ET Saturday. One of the rally’s organizers trained 300 volunteer marshals to help keep order.
Around 12:30 p.m., thousands of protesters had gathered in the rain. A group of drummers kept the crowd dancing. Busloads of union members arrived all morning to join the protests. Most of the assembled crowd were union members, with banners and union logos everywhere.
Police closed the area to traffic between Wellesley Street and College Street. TTC special constables are in place at the Queen’s Park subway station.
Police are tight-lipped about their plans to manage the protest, but said they would let the demonstrators go as far as Queen Street West as long as they stayed peaceful.
“We will monitor things and do what is necessary to keep everyone safe,” said Constable Michelle Murphy of the Ontario Provincial Police.
However, some protesters warned that a smaller contingent of more militant marchers plans to break away from the main demonstration and challenge the security fence surrounding the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the main G20 site. The “confrontational anti-colonial, anti-capitalist” protest is called “Get off the Fence.”
“We invite you all to continue on with us to confront the self-proclaimed G20 leaders and the security apparatus that will have occupied our city. We will take back our city from these exploitative profiteers, and in the streets we will be uncontrollable! This is a militant march where many forms of resistance and tactics are welcomed and respected,” says a description on a website to mobilize protesters.
As well, some union organizers say they will also attempt to challenge the security perimeter.
“We’re calling for many of us to go to the fence,” said Kelly O’Sullivan, president of CUPE Local 4308, which represents community organizations throughout Toronto.
But organizers of the main rally – which is being billed as a demonstration for women’s rights, poverty alleviation and job creation – are worried that their message could get lost if some people get aggressive.
“I keep trying to urge people to let this protest take place without any form of contact or confrontation of police because it’ll destroy the message,” said Sid Ryan, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour and a rally co-organizer.
Mr. Ryan feared that participants – he estimated up to 10,000 people will march – may be deterred by the heightened security and police presence. He said that talk of a water cannon, sound cannons and plastic bullets “is leading people to a siege mentality.” He stressed that the OFL is planning a peaceful demonstration and said organizers had trained 300 volunteer marshals to serve as a buffer between protesters and police.
Organizers of the main protest plan to march south from Queen’s Park along University Avenue to Queen Street. Then they plan to march west along Queen to Spadina Avenue, before heading back north to Queen’s Park. The OFL spent months negotiating the route with police, Mr. Ryan said, going through a number of plans before the groups were able to come to a compromise.
Ken Georgetti, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, another co-organizer, said he was checking weather forecasts in hopes that light rain would disappear.
At Allan Gardens, where about 100 protesters camped overnight as part of a demonstration against homelessness and poverty, spirits were high Saturday morning. As day broke, activists shared a breakfast of bagels, chili and tortillas and discussed the coming protest.
Some hoped the day would bring confrontation.
“I hope something really happens today,” said one young man who declined to give his name.
Others hoped for a more peaceful event. Sylvain Richard, who came from Montreal with friends for the protests, said he only got about an hours' sleep on the hard ground, but was excited for the day.
“I hope there won't be too much violence,” he said as his friends folded up their tents.
A few feet away, Synthia Laframboise said that she hoped the G20 would do something to alleviate homelessness and poverty. Once homeless herself, Ms. Laframboise said that she came to the protest to show support with those still on the streets.
“I want to show solidarity, because I've been there,” she said.
On Friday afternoon, thousands of protesters marched west from Allan Gardens, but were stopped by a double line of officers in riot gear and weren’t allowed to move south of Elm Street at University Avenue. After a few tense moments involving officers donning gas masks and holding tear gas guns, Toronto Police said they had “possibly arrested” two people, including one man who is reportedly hearing impaired.