Nothing pisses me off more than those protesters who wear all black and cause violence and destruction. Until those types of protesters are stopped, police will not be taking chances, let alone with someone who is uncredentialed.

I disagreed with the $1 Billion dollar price tag for security for the conference. However, the actions of those in black make it quite apparent that some people do not know how to protest peacefully and ruin it for everyone else.

I liken it to Islam and the fact that a few suicide bomber fanatics make people think all of Islamics are crazy.

When do politicians learn not to hold these kind of conferences? If they need to talk, conference calls have been invented and it would save millions (properly billions actually) of public money.

* I don't think even the best current technology can give the feedback of "being there". The topmost leaders of countries still matter a lot and there's no working technology that can give the effect of one leader patting the other on the back.

* The conferences are symbolic. They send the signal that the various leaders are in some kind of accord. Politicians could and sometimes do hold the conferences in places where mass demonstrations are impossible - like Dubai. They are holding the conference in Toronto as a symbol that they can hold it in Toronto. [edit: wrong city...]

* The conferences provide funding, a pretext and a fairly safe venue for law enforcement to test it's latest tactics and overall readiness for more serious unrest. Sure it's "an inefficient way to spend tax payers money" but the leaders only talk about that when their friend's pet projects aren't involved (note how US Federal spending is heading towards 50% of GDP without the government providing basic welfare state type services).

That's Toronto on the second item.