The costs of civil disobedience.

Obviously I'm not an Investigative Journalist, but certain things start to make me wonder where I might get information about certain things.
Like for example:
1.) What is the costs of extended manpower in police law enforcement after 14 weeks?
2.) What is the cost of damages to businesses through vandalism?
3.) How much have businesses lost in revenue over the 14 weeks of protests/riots?
4.) What happens to the students tuition for the term the likely won't complete?

I started wondering at costs when this article from the National Post decried warnings to the Montreal Tourist Season due to protests: http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/23/montreal-tourist-season-at-risk-over-tuition-protests/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

This was also brought to attention by Brian Liley, who quoted a report from the Desjardin Bank that said  if Quebec were it's own country it's Debt/GDP was listed as 5th among the world, right behind the European countries that are in economical crisis. http://blogs.canoe.ca/lilleyspad/category/byline/
Which means without federal transfer payments from more prosperous regions, Quebec would be force into an extreme form of fiscal austerity.

So when you break it all down, how much did this outrageous temper tantrum actually cost the taxpayers? Because you know the bill isn't being carried by the protesters/rioters, because even some of their leaders want their rent for free.
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20120523/quebec-student-leader-promo-120523/
http://bit.ly/Le2tN5

Beyond reason.

Have the Student protesters/rioters gone that step which breaches reason?  I would have to say that the minute violence took place they gave up any credibility, and also lost the right they claim to protest (Charter of rights and freedoms 2(c) freedom of PEACEFUL assembly.)
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/charter/page-1.html#l_I:s_2
http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/canada/archives/2012/05/20120520-112205.html

Yet here we are, 14 weeks into a protest which I believe the student groups had no intention of mediating an end to, with progressively increasing violence and mayhem. I'm not sure what political end game some of the students may have had, but the obvious immediate tactic was to Govern without being elected through activism and mob thuggery. Policy is made by politicians, and in a civilized society if we don't like it we vote against them in the next election. What civilized people don't do is the "lord of the flies" scenario the Quebec currently sees itself in.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/11-injured-including-4-police-officers-as-quebec-student-protest-turns-violent/article2423712/

Why? I came across an article the other day where the police were lamenting the outcomes of the 2 decision they make in a riot situation: "It is frustrating because we have tried a passive approach and had it backfire, and we have tried to jump on it quickly and then be criticized."
It seems to me that of the only 2 options, you have to choose that which has the best result with the least damage. This would say take the criticism, and take control before things get out of hand. Police will always be criticized no matter what choice they make, because someone is always going to feel like they are the "victim" if they can't do what they want.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/18/police-struggling-to-cope-with-emboldened-riot-culture-in-canada/

Jean Charest no longer has any choice in the matter: if he backs down he sets the precedent for every activist group to stage ever increasingly violent protests to get the Government to capitulate to it's will.  The students have pushed as hard as they can, now it's time to "grow a pair" and show them that they don't run the Province, and that you do. Newly minted laws may seem like a good idea, but with that you have to give the authorities room to take charge of the situation.  I have even advocated for Martial Law, since the rioters seem to indignantly break even the most reasonable laws.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/charest-should-not-back-down/article2433870/

Time to teach these spoiled brats that they can't get anything they want by throwing a tantrum, and do what it takes to restore order to your streets.

Letter to the editor - National Post.

The National Post published this article on May 10th, about the "National March for Life" that occurred in Ottawa. "Thousands of anti-abortion protesters shut down streets near Parliament Hill":
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/10/march-for-life-2012/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

I was a little annoyed at the clear bias of the writer, so I fired off a quick letter to the editor. Which went like this:
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I'm not sure how this blatantly biased article managed to end up on your site, but I would imagine that there were more even tempered, non biased reports that you could have chosen from. Even if you would have edited the wording to a less inflammatory headline, not to mention the inaccuracies in "estimated" numbers.

Right from the start I found the writer's bias was front and foremost with the term "Anti-Abortionists", instead of calling it by what everyone else knew to be the "National March for Life". This was more than a protest against abortion, and it was disingenuous of the writer to even suggest that was merely the point.

I delve further into the article to find an offhand "police" estimated turnout of 15000 (less than last year), when organizers and other media come to a record breaking number of 19,500 (so much for fact checking.)

There is even mention of a "few dozen" Pro-choice protesters, but they are courteously given the "socially acceptable" moniker of "Pro-choice" rather than a more equally inflammatory title of "Pro-Abortionists".

I think it's fair to say that there comes with reporting a certain expectation of "Journalistic integrity", which I found sorely lacking of Terry Pedwell and the Canadian Press. Any editor worth his salt would have toned down the biased rhetoric, and made this article an actual piece of Journalism.

Sincerely

Bob Klassen

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H/T Twitter friend @AlbertaGrl and @JoanneBLY for both input and prompting me to write.

About the "March for Life" rally; http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-canadian-march-for-life-smashes-previous-attendance-records-19500

Here's a pro-abortion rally: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/abortion-advocates-stage-huge-protest-with-over-50-ppl-against-pro-life-mot