A raucous crowd of gay and lesbian rights demonstrators used the lead-up to the G20 to call attention to the erosion of gay rights in G20 countries.
"These elitist meetings do not represent us. They have never represented us," Ro Velazquez of Queer Resistance told reporters on Tuesday.
"There is no room for queer and trans people, for people of colour, for immigrant."
The march along Queen Street between Yonge Street and University Avenue was mostly peaceful, with police taking one man into custody. However, it wasn't clear if that person was part of the demonstration.
As organizers promised, there was a kiss-off. "Love someone. Love someone," a microphone-amplified voice urged the marchers.
Virtually all obliged.
One organizer said the idea was to bring "queer visibility to the streets of Toronto."
About 70 people were involved in the demonstration, which also took aim at what they see as the increasing corporatization of the Toronto Pride Festival.
They also are unhappy with the Ontario government's decision to backtrack on a sex education curriculum that would have introduced Grade 3 students to the concept of same-sex families.
On Tuesday morning, feminist activists did "creative transformations" of public artwork to make political statements against the G20.
G20 security
The delegations are expected to start arriving Thursday. The G8 Summit starts Friday in Huntsville, with the G20 Summit taking place in Toronto on Saturday and Sunday.
At Pearson International Airport, a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster cargo transport jet brought Marine Corps helicopters that will likely be used to transport U.S. President Barack Obama between Toronto and Huntsville when he arrives.
In an apparent security breach related to Pearson, a Toronto man recently discovered an airport security screener's jacket at a Salvation Army thrift store.
"I thought, 'This can't be right,'" said Brian Marleau. "This is a complete breach of security. This could be a real danger in the wrong hands."
He pointed to the authentic CATSA (Canadian Air Transport Security Authority) logo on the shoulder.
CATSA confirmed it's an authentic jacket, but they don't consider it a major security breach as a jacket wouldn't be enough to enter a secure zone at the airport, reported CTV Toronto's Alicia Markson.
Sgt. Scott Purchase of the Toronto Police said his uniform alone wouldn't be enough to get him into the inner security zone of the G20 summit.
"I need the G20 security accreditation in addition to this," he said.
Visiting officers
Toronto's Police Chief Bill Blair has 3,500 of his officers working 12-hour days on G20 security. But another 1,600 officers have come in from across Canada to lend a hand.
Some of the visiting officers found themselves being asked for directions on Tuesday by tourists.
Most are wearing their home-town uniforms.
All told CTV Toronto they were happy to be here.
Sgt. Neil Pearson came from Swan Hills, Alta., a community of about 2,000 located 250 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. "It's exciting," he said about the G20 assignment.
Sgt. Kelly Krewenchuk of the Edmonton Police said the opportunity to work on something like the G20 Summit was a "once in a lifetime experience."
One officer pronounced herself impressed by Toronto's diversity.
With reports from CTV Toronto's Michelle Dube, Alicia Markson and Austin Delaney, with files from The Canadian Press
