12 Times Policing in Canada Was Weaponized — And Why the Pattern Can’t Be I

12 Times Policing in Canada Was Weaponized — And Why the Pattern Can’t Be Ignored

By Gerard King | Cyber Analyst | www.gerardking.dev

Introduction: Data Doesn't Lie—Power Does

As a cyber analyst, I see patterns. I read between the logs. And if you look at the historical metadata of Canadian law enforcement, a disturbing pattern emerges: policing has too often been used not to serve and protect, but to silence, suppress, and punish.

This isn't about hating police. It's about calling out an institutional tendency to weaponize the law — not against criminals, but against those who disrupt power, question authority, or simply exist in marginalized skin.

Below are 12 historical cases that make this painfully clear.

1. Fairy Creek Blockades (2021–2022)

RCMP officers violently suppressed peaceful land defenders opposing old-growth logging. The excessive use of force — pepper spray, illegal roadblocks, violent arrests — disproportionately targeted Indigenous and BIPOC activists.

Lesson: Modern colonialism wears riot gear.

2. Nova Scotia Mass Shooting Response (2020)

Canada’s deadliest mass shooting revealed catastrophic failures by the RCMP: lack of urgency, miscommunication, and delayed alerts cost lives. A scathing inquiry labeled it a failure of policing and leadership — not capacity.

Lesson: Incompetence is its own form of violence.

3. The McDonald Commission (1977–1981)

This inquiry found the RCMP engaged in illegal break-ins, arson, and surveillance against political activists. That led to the formation of CSIS — a massive restructure meant to put a leash on rogue policing.

Lesson: National security doesn’t mean national impunity.

4. The October Crisis & War Measures Act (1970)

The government arrested hundreds — mostly artists, unionists, students — without charge during the FLQ crisis. The RCMP and military swept up civilians under the guise of security.

Lesson: Fear is the fastest route to authoritarian policing.

5. Starlight Tours, Saskatoon (1990s–2000s)

Indigenous men were picked up by police, driven outside city limits in winter, and left to die. Neil Stonechild’s case exposed this practice. No one was held fully accountable.

Lesson: Policing in Canada has a body count — and a pattern.

6. APEC Summit Policing (1997)

RCMP officers pepper-sprayed and strip-searched peaceful protesters at the Vancouver APEC Summit, acting under political pressure. The inquiry found them complicit in violating basic civil rights.

Lesson: The moment protest challenges power, the masks come off.

7. Project Shock (Post-9/11)

After 9/11, the RCMP partnered with foreign intelligence to mass-surveil Canadian Muslims. Thousands of names were collected and flagged without cause, building a system of racial profiling disguised as national defense.

Lesson: Fear makes for lazy intelligence and dangerous policing.

8. Police Militarization & SWAT Overuse (2007–2017)

The rise of militarized police units has exploded. In Canada, SWAT-like units were deployed in thousands of routine mental health calls, often escalating situations fatally.

Lesson: Not every door needs a battering ram.

9. Political Policing of Palestine Solidarity (2023)

Toronto police labeled pro-Palestine activism as “hate incidents,” initiated surveillance campaigns, and conducted raids with no resulting convictions. Activism was rebranded as extremism.

Lesson: Today’s protester is tomorrow’s political prisoner — if the narrative allows it.

10. Lethal Force During Indigenous Land Disputes

From Dudley George at Ipperwash to Tyendinaga Mohawk actions, police have historically used deadly force against unarmed Indigenous land protectors — often defending corporate or Crown interests.

Lesson: State violence in Canada often follows the money.

11. Digital Surveillance & Algorithmic Bias (2016–Present)

Canadian police forces now use predictive policing algorithms, facial recognition, and social media scraping. Studies show these systems disproportionately flag racialized individuals — and no one regulates them properly.

Lesson: Digital policing is the new frontier of quiet oppression.

12. Criminalization of Poverty Through Petty Enforcement

From ticketing unhoused people to harassing the working poor with traffic fines and “loitering” charges, the system is built to extract wealth from the bottom. It’s enforcement-for-profit — not safety.

Lesson: Poverty shouldn’t be policed, but in Canada, it’s a business model.

Conclusion: This Isn’t an Accident — It’s a Blueprint

Weaponized policing in Canada isn’t a glitch. It’s the system working as designed — to protect institutions, not people.

We live in a society where Indigenous protestors get tackled, but rogue officers with 70% charge failure rates get promoted. Where peaceful demonstrators are surveilled, but violent domestic abusers in uniform get desk duty. Where “protect and serve” means “punish and surveil” if you’re not politically aligned or economically useful.

As cyber analysts, we’re trained to spot system vulnerabilities. This isn’t a vulnerability — it’s a backdoor that’s been left wide open for decades.

Until we acknowledge the weaponization of policing, we’ll never secure our civil liberties.