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CCCA_V6No1_Profiles-FIN_CCCA_V1No1_Profile-FIN.qxd 2/13/12 9:23 PM Page 20 Profile T he police response to the protests at the G-20 Summit in Toronto in June 2010 has been called one of the worst violations of civil liberties in Canada’s history. As world leaders met at a downtown con- vention centre, the largest mass arrest this country has ever seen was taking place out on the streets. Nearly 1,000 people were arrested and taken to a detention centre, where little was offered in the way of food, water and access to lawyers.The vast majority had com- mitted no crime; they included peaceful pro- testers, members of the media, human rights monitors and people who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. For those watching events unfold from the comfort of their homes, Nathalie Des Rosiers became a familiar face on the news, speaking out against the police action and reminding viewers that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms had become a casualty in the chaos. It marked a turning point for her as general counsel at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.A year earlier, she had taken over the helm fromAlan Borovoy,who had become an institution during his 40-year tenure, and she had big shoes to fill. Borovoy built a national reputation for the organization during his long career as an out- spoken advocate for civil rights. (A poster of him at the CCLA’s Toronto office reads, “A tribute to 40 years of raising hell…without breaking the law.”) 20 CCCA Canadian Corporate Counsel Association SPRING 2012