g8/g20 conclusion.... more than 900 people arrested at the G20 in canada

[Protspecd]

The court told them to use it at 120db instead of 160db if i recall correctly because else it would be dangerous for the ears, but they still use it

Those trucks are so damn fucked up... I couldn't imagine what it would be like standing near one of those things...

[ungovernable]

Read the PDF! You'll find a play by play of what happened on the ground while the city burned, and a very useful detailed review of the pig tactics used.

Download it here

Introduction

From June 25-27, 2010, Canada hosted the G8 and G20 Summits. The G8 Summit was held on June 25 in Huntsville, Ontario, a small rural community. The G20 Summit was held in downtown Toronto from June 26-27. The security operation, involving some 19,000 security personnel, was billed as the largest in Canadian history (costing approximately $1 billion).

After nearly a week of 'peaceful' and heavily policed protests, Saturday June 26 saw widespread property destruction and the arson of four Toronto police cars in downtown streets, including two in the financial district. In response to this humiliation, police went on a rampage later that evening and throughout the next day, violently attacking peaceful protesters, journalists, and bystanders. By the evening of Monday June 28, some 900 people had been arrested. The final total of arrests would be nearly 1,100—the largest mass arrests in Canadian history.
[the sooner they bankrupt themselves...]

Like the WTO protests in Seattle 1999, the Toronto G20 will be a significant historical event in Canada. Not only for the widespread police brutality which occured, but also for the potency of militant attacks as carried out by a Black Bloc in the context of the largest security operation in history.

While detractors claim the militant attacks were “allowed” to happen, or were the work of “agents provocateurs,” the reality is that a few hundred militants were able to outmanuever an army of riot cops and carry out extensive property destruction.

The damage inflicted, even with thousands of riot cops in the streets, and the arson of four police cars in particular, shows the vulnerability of the “all-powerful” state and its repressive apparatus. That some dared to challenge this illusion and literally smash it to pieces appears impossible to those already defeated in their hearts and minds.

...

http://anarchistnews.org/?q=node/11712

[ungovernable]

new websites about what happenned at toronto g20:

http://www.g20inquiry.org/
http://www.g20justice.com/
http://g20stories.wordpress.com/

http://www.torontonamo.net/ (french)

[ungovernable]

THE LAST 2 ACTIVISTS FROM QUEBEC ARE FREE !!!

The deputy of Quebec Solidaire paid the bail of one of the activist, it is very rare to see political party act like that. I now have a little bit more esteem for Quebec Solidaire.

Two more people arrested in the Toronto G20 protests have been granted bail.

Jaggi Singh turned himself in to police on July 6, after an arrest warrant had been issued for him following the demonstrations.

The Montreal-based Singh, prominent in previous anti-globalization protests in Vancouver and Quebec City, was granted release on $85,000 bail and must adhere to several conditions, including house arrest. Amir Khadir, a provincial politician with the Quebec Solidaire party, is one of Singh's three sureties.

Also released Monday was Patrick Cadorette, freed on $47,000 bail and subject to similar conditions as Singh.

About 20 individuals have been cited following a police investigation into activities of people allegedly planning violent action during the G20 summit meeting June 26-27.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/ ... z0tjUTuRIJ

[ungovernable]

“Girls got Beaten” (video)
www.mbetv.com/g20-de-toronto-girls-got-beaten-video

[rude-boy]

at first the chick cop is talking to the chick seems pretty calm and kinda freindly. . then mister tough guy throws a shit fit and the big smile on the girl cops face gets pretty small really fast...and look right as he starts bitching at the girl a cop behind him looks liek he is shaking his head like your dumb!!!but im not sure if its to this guy. this is almost funny to see but the poor girl gets owned for nothing at at all.. kinda makes em wanna get me some bubs! i like how it zooms on the chick cops right after he btches and she is like fucking shit....

[ungovernable]

Arrested for bubble HAHAHAHAHAHAH.... holy shit..... i would say this is the most stupid reason for an arrestation i ever seen but oh well, i can't say that since some people were arrested for absolutly NO REASON, some people going to work were arrested and some people from quebec who were just driving a car with a quebec license were arrested....

The cop girl looks sexy. I'd beat her with "my big truncheon". Ok i know, i'm just being dumb and someone will accuse me of sexism. I need some sleep.

[JesusCrust]

Don't worry ungov, no one ever reads the fine print.

[Protspecd]

Arrested for bubble HAHAHAHAHAHAH.... holy shit..... i would say this is the most stupid reason for an arrestation i ever seen but oh well, i can't say that since some people were arrested for absolutly NO REASON, some people going to work were arrested and some people from quebec who were just driving a car with a quebec license were arrested....

The cop girl looks sexy. I'd beat her with "my big truncheon". Ok i know, i'm just being dumb and someone will accuse me of sexism. I need some sleep.

Actually, sometimes I find myself attracted to women in an authoritive position... Kinda messed up if you look at the whole psychology of it... lol

[rude-boy]

i wish the chick would have stood up for her self a bit better...not just stand there wuith her mouth on the floor looking like she was going to cry

[ungovernable]

at first the chick cop is talking to the chick seems pretty calm and kinda freindly. . then mister tough guy throws a shit fit and the big smile on the girl cops face gets pretty small really fast...and look right as he starts bitching at the girl a cop behind him looks liek he is shaking his head like your dumb!!!but im not sure if its to this guy. this is almost funny to see but the poor girl gets owned for nothing at at all.. kinda makes em wanna get me some bubs! i like how it zooms on the chick cops right after he btches and she is like fucking shit....

wow this story is famous now, there are even parodies on youtube !

[Probe]

hahaha "If those bubbles hit me I'm gonna arrest you for assault"

[ungovernable]

YOUTUBE VIDEO SHOWS UNDERCOVER AGENTS ASSAULTING MAN FILMING THEM AT G-20 PROTEST

Police "agents provocateurs" attempt to infiltrate family-friendly march in Montreal; MPP Amir Khadir denounces police tricks

Montreal, 3 July 2010 -- A man arrested at Thursday's march against police repression around the G20 Summit has come forward to reveal that he was assaulted by undercover "agents provocateurs" when he attempted to film them.

While 1,000 Montrealers, including many parents with young children, marched to denounce the abusive police treatment of G20 protestors, Montreal police apparently attempted to introduce agent provocateurs into the march. The provocateurs were spotted trying to enter the march on Sherbrooke Street, but were forced out by attentive march organizers. Two videos of the group of provocateurs were posted on youtube on Friday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCb7YlnX ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLFS1Xarysg.

"They were big guys, looking like thugs. In fact, they looked very much like the police provocateurs who were caught on video carrying rocks at the protest against the Security and Prosperity Partnership in Montebello, Quebec in August 2007," stated Scott Weinstein, who decided to bicycle over to film the group when informed of their presence.

When he caught up to them, the provocateurs were walking one block east of the march, on St-Dominique, parallel to most of the children and babies who tended to be near the end of the march.

"The police had no business playing these games and threatening violence, especially when so many children were present," explained Weinstein, a health care worker and photographer. "Their strategy is totally unacceptable."

The group quickly surrounded Weinstein, grabbed him and attempted to take his camera from him. He refused to let go. They dragged Weinstein to the sidewalk and kneed him until he could no longer hold onto the camera. "I knew they wanted to erase the evidence, especially since I didn't hide I was filming them. I made sure not to touch them, instead I tried to protect myself in a fetal position and screamed for help."

Janet Cleveland, a psychologist, was leaving the march and returning home when she heard screams. "I saw 5 or 6 burly young guys dressed in black forming a tight circle around someone, holding his hands behind his back and pushing his face to the pavement while he screamed for help. It was scary - my first thought was that they might be skinheads beating somebody up. There was no way to tell the difference. But they told me that they were police
and that I should stay away."

Cleveland stayed to watch as Weinstein was forced into a police car and then alerted Quebec Solidaire MPP Amir Khadir, who also attended the march. Khadir intervened with the police immediately after the arrest to denounce the arbitrary, abusive and illegal character of Weinstein's arrest.

"Quebec citizens expect the police to respect the democratic rights of people who demonstrate", stated Khadir. "Dissent and opposition are not only permitted in this country, but must also be protected and celebrated. I am particularly proud of people like Scott who protest peacefully to denounce the abuse and violence of police repression in Toronto. It is unacceptable that Montreal police use the same tricks that led to the excesses of the security agencies in Toronto," he stated.

Three police ethics commission reports in April 2010 found that filming the police is legal.

Weinstein was released the same evening but faces bogus charges of assault with a weapon. According to a police spokesperson, his bicycle was the weapon. However, as events revealed, Weinstein's real "weapon" was his camera: when police returned it to him, all video and photo material had been erased.

Luckily for Weinstein, a bystander caught the incident on camera and posted it to youtube. Weinstein is trying to get in touch with this person.

- 30 -

For further information, contact:
- Scott Weinstein: (514) 289-9989
- Spokesperson for CLAC 2010: (438) 838 8498

Youtube videos of the agents provocateurs:



Police Ethics Commission Rulings on Filming Police:

http://jugements.qc.ca/php/decision.php ... 3D4&page=1

http://jugements.qc.ca/php/decision.php ... 82B&page=1

http://jugements.qc.ca/php/decision.php ... F9E67BF84B

[crustby]

Thanks for this thread and many posts. Sorry I did not jump in earlier. I wanted to
add some input and links (see below) that counters the agents provocateurs myth. Especially the first video posted which tries to make the link between black boots/shoes to agents provocateurs. I think it's laughable.
I find it hard to disagree with the analysis and evidence that shows that police lost control of the situation and were overcome by a few hundred militants that torched police cars and did over $1 million worth of damage to banks and corporate property. There are reports from police that they had no idea what was going on, didn't know how to react, and that the multiple layers of their command structure resulted in orders not coming down fast enough to deal with the roving black bloc. Now that's not to say that police didn't have infiltrators in all of the crowds during every day of protest action, but by no means does that imply that they let the destruction happen, or even less likely, facilitate it.

Kind of unrelated, but a lesson to be learned from all of this, is that in future mass actions, folks are really going to have to protect themselves and mask their identity. In Toronto, we saw members of the community who weren't part of a black bloc come out and take out their frustrations, undoubtedly due to prior and ongoing police repression in their communities, on the abandoned police cars. Then after the summit, the cops went on their witchhunt with the assistance of the banks (that image enhancement shit from the cameras) and the corporate fucking media. Tons of people were busted, even those that had protected their identity that day. This type of resistance will inevitably draw more people into taking action, but folks have to be prepared for the tactics, tools, and resources that the state levies against us.

http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/story/cou ... -bloc/4094
http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/video/revolution-now/4009
http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/newsrelease/4095 (thanks for posting this earlier, but will repost)

[ungovernable]

Sorry I did not jump in earlier. I wanted to
add some input and links (see below) that counters the agents provocateurs myth. Especially the first video posted which tries to make the link between black boots/shoes to agents provocateurs. I think it's laughable.

Bullshit. In every single big protest in quebec and canada there were agent provocateurs and it was proven multiple times with serious proofs, police even admitted it. Just inform yourself.

I find it hard to disagree with the analysis and evidence that shows that police lost control of the situation and were overcome by a few hundred militants that torched police cars and did over $1 million worth of damage to banks and corporate property.

Police cars were left in the middle of the protest during hours and hours. The police left old cars there, they wanted the protesters to burn them down so they could show it to the media who played it over and over again to justify the spending of $1.5 billion in security.

$1 million worth of damage is really discutable, and anyway who cares ? the target were banks and big corporations.

There are reports from police that they had no idea what was going on, didn't know how to react, and that the multiple layers of their command structure resulted in orders not coming down fast enough to deal with the roving black bloc. Now that's not to say that police didn't have infiltrators in all of the crowds during every day of protest action, but by no means does that imply that they let the destruction happen, or even less likely, facilitate it.

What the fuck now you are defending the police ? Stop trying to find reasons to justify their actions, there is no fucking reason you can arrest someone for making bubble and the likes. Inform yourself, there were over 1200 arrests, most of them were people walking on the streets, non-protesters going to work, journalists, members of elected political parties, even old ladies....
And of course they let the destruction happen, it's at their advantage so they can justify the repression. They let cop cars in the middle of a protest during over 2 hours waiting for protesters to burn it down.

[crustby]

I am very informed. Joining in and echoing the speculator chorus doesn't make you informed.
Did you check the independent media reports that I posted?
These reports are from people embedded in the crowd, not from conspiracy theory speculators or corporate-run media outlets who only regurgitate faulty police reports and liberal reformist "good protestor" garbage.

Why are you defending and attempting to lend credibility to the mainstream corporate and state-run media?
Why are you giving the cops so much credit? There is NO EVIDENCE that they left their cars. There IS video evidence of black bloc storming the cars and the police getting out and running for their lives.The police were overwhelmed by a strong and highly mobile force of urban militants... There may have been some APs, but they weren't all cops, and they certainly didn't facilitate anything. The youtube video from Toronto that attempts to prove that the black bloc were cops only points to the fact that they were wearing black shoes. It is naive to believe that those smashing the windows were cops based on that evidence. In Montebello, there were images of the underside of three agents provocateurs' boots... which were police issued. And these pigs were already ousted by the crowd.

So yes, agents provocateurs were ousted immediately from the crowd at Montebello. They were also ousted in this year's anti-police brutality rally in Montreal and spotted in the solidarity rally in Montreal after the G20. Of course they use them. But they are easy to spot as has been proven in the past and present. I can't believe one would think that the cops are almighty and all powerful that they can control all facets of the movement, take over the black bloc in Toronto, and orchestrate the entire thing... This sounds like Alex Jones conspiracy....

Perhaps what I was saying was unclear. But about leaving the cars, please check the link I posted. And is this something you saw personally or are you relying on corporate media reports and the nonsense spouted by the likes of Judy Rebick and Murray Dobbin? Even Naomi Klein apologized for her ridiculous comments following the action. Perhaps you also believed the shit spouted by David Eby and the like in Vancouver during the Olympic protests..?? Anyways, the city was chaotic that day, with numerous roving protests that were spontaneous and converged on many different points, involving over ten thousand people (one source says 40,000), and police responding and moving around to try and counter them.

I'm not defending the police. I'm trying to show their incompetence. You are defending the police by saying they created this entire thing. There was massive repression because they were humiliated and defeated in that moment. 19,000 pigs and $1 billion and the Toronto cop shop was smashed to shit while they stood in front of it and watched.... This shows that if you are willing to take direct action and confront the coward pigs, you have a much better chance than by sitting down with your back to them, which shows weakness and capitulation. The pigs are cowards and they attacked vulnerable crowds... they didn't dare engage the black bloc. Plus, they couldn't catch them !!!
Also, it is important to try and understand the police command structure and the many layers of command... they are too slow and incompetent, taking orders from the top at a base outside Huntsville. In this situation, they were no match for BB tactics. And don't forget, police were beating people and arresting people at gun point even before the Saturday action.

In sum, I think you are doing the movement a disservice by downplaying its strengths, placing your faith in the corporate media and conspiracy theorist gurus, and by praising the police by conveying an incorrect message that they are all powerful and have the ability to control everything we do.

But thanks for your comments, I certainly didn't expect them.

[ungovernable]

Today ended the court trial of the g20 arrested activists

conclusion

1,118 people total arrests
and only 6 people judged guilty

G20 charges dropped against 11 as 6 plead guilty

In a joint submission entered in court today, six of the 17 so-called G20 ringleaders have pleaded guilty and the other 11 defendants are going free.

The six defendants pleaded guilty in a Finch Ave. courtroom this morning to the lesser charge of counseling to commit mischief over $5,000. Two of the defendants — Alex Hundert and Amanda Hiscocks — also pleaded guilty to counseling to obstruct police.

The other 11 defendants all had their charges withdrawn just before noon. All 17 were initially charged with conspiracy.

The Star reported Tuesday that the so-called G20 ringleaders struck a plea bargain with prosecutors after preliminary hearings were suspended in late September.

For the six who pleaded guilty, the agreed statement of facts read out in court this morning stated that it couldn’t be proven that any of their remarks leading up to the G20 contributed to property damage or obstruction of police during the summit riots.

The agreed statement also noted that none of the six actually took part in the riots.

After the charges were officially withdrawn, a statement was posted online in which the 17 collectively condemned the conspiracy charges.

“This alleged conspiracy is absurd,” the statement read. “We were never all part of any one group, we didn’t all organize together, and our political backgrounds are all different. Some of us met for the first time in jail. What we do have in common is that we, like many others, are passionate about creating communities of resistance.”

According to defence lawyer Howard Morton, the position now being taken by the Crown is “drastically different” from the one it took at bail hearings. His client, Joanna Adamiak, had her charge withdrawn as part of the plea deal.

“This was nothing more than an attempt to create a public image that these people are terrorists,” Morton said of the prosecution’s portrayal of the 17 activists and self-described anarchists.

“These people are anything but terrorists. I mean, I wonder if any of them would even survive anarchy.”

Among the six who pleaded guilty are the four arrested in pre-dawn raids hours before the G20 summit began on June 26, 2010: Alex Hundert, his then-partner Leah Henderson, Amanda Hiscocks and Peter Hopperton. Erik Lankin and Adam Lewis, both members of the anarchist group AW@L (Anti-War at Laurier), also pleaded guilty.

According to the agreed statement of facts, Hundert and Hiscocks will be given the longest prison terms of 13 ½ and 16 months, respectively. Both will be sentenced in January.

Hundert has already spent five months in pre-trial custody and another five months under house arrest. Hiscocks was in jail for one month and under house arrest for nine.

Hiscocks has spent the past few weeks preparing for jail by cleaning out her apartment and spending time with friends and family, she told the Star in an interview prior to today’s court appearance.

As an activist, she said she has long been prepared for the possibility that some day she may wind up behind bars.

“I know a lot of people who do this work end up in jail at some point,” Hiscocks said.

The arrests of the so-called G20 ringleaders in June 2010 were the culmination of a year-long investigation by two undercover officers and eight different police services.

At the June 26, 2010, court appearance for Hundert, Hiscocks, Henderson and Hopperton, Crown attorney Vincent Paris told the court he was overwhelmed by the volume of evidence collected on the alleged co-conspirators.

Prior to a publication ban prohibiting media from reporting trial evidence, Paris said a plan for violence was put into place over a series of meetings leading up to the G20 in June 2010. He said the group planned on hitting targets such as city hall, Metro Hall, Goldman Sachs, The Bay and various consulates.

As Paris spoke in court during the G20 summit, black-clad vandals were smashing their way across downtown Toronto and he linked the four defendants with the “action . . . happening now.”

According to York University law professor Alan Young, a conspiracy case is often tough to prosecute because it requires proof of an overt agreement between people who may be loosely connected.

Of the 1,118 people arrested during the G20, more than 140 were charged with conspiracy, including the 17 described as ringleaders. If the plea bargain goes through, at least 112 of those conspiracy charges will have been dropped.

The preliminary hearing for the 17 alleged co-conspirators began Sept. 12, but was suspended about a week later so the group could enter talks about a plea deal.

The group has since been embroiled in painstaking negotiations, a complicated and delicate process involving hours of handwringing and discussion amongst the multiple co-accused and their respective lawyers.

In an interview with the Star¸ Hiscocks said she was initially vehemently opposed to striking any deals with the Crown. The 37-year-old longtime activist said she disapproves of plea bargaining because she considers it a prosecutorial tactic for eliciting guilty pleas.

But, in the end, Hiscocks agreed a plea deal promised the best possible outcome for the most people in the group, she said.

“The justice system being what it is, we decided that we weren’t going to see justice by going through to the end,” Hiscocks said. “We feel like the most good we’re going to get from the system, for the people in this group, is going to be through this plea.”

Hiscocks said she believes the charges against her were “politically motivated” and the group has already been punished by a justice system that is supposed to presume innocence until proven guilty.

Over the past 15 months, the co-accused have been living either in jail, under house arrest or subject to restrictive bail conditions preventing them from doing the community work they devote their lives to, she said.

Everyone has also been prohibited from participating in “demonstrations,” a word that has been broadly interpreted by the courts. In September 2010, Hundert was arrested for breaching this bail condition after participating in a panel discussion at Ryerson University.

“The bail conditions were absolutely ridiculous,” Morton said. “I’ve had clients charged with manslaughter that had conditions that weren’t this bad.”

Many of the 17 are also buckling under the emotional and financial strain of a legal battle being waged at a snail’s pace, according to Hiscocks.

She said people have lost their jobs as a result of the ongoing case and two of the 17 who stand to have their charges dropped under the deal were ineligible for legal aid and face an overall legal cost of $150,000 each. Another co-accused, who would see his charge withdrawn as a part of the deal, said he faced deportation if convicted.

According to Morton, the case was unlikely to go to trial until next September at the earliest, more than two years after the charges were first laid. Some defendants who submitted guilty pleas under the deal will likely be out of jail and moving on with their lives before the trial would have started.

Young, an expert on the plea bargaining process, said both sides, the Crown and defence, have incentives to strike a deal.

“The Crown might perceive there are some weaknesses in the case, the defence might have some concerns about the claims they want to make,” he said. “So, ultimately, law of probabilities (says) your best outcome is to go into court with a joint submission.”

Plea deals also pinch the ballooning costs of a trial, he added. Morton, a former Crown attorney, estimates the investigation and prosecution has already cost upwards of $5 million.

But even when people see their charges dropped as a result of a plea deal, that does not mean they go unpunished, Young added.

“The reality is that the Crown still is victorious in the sense that it achieves some punitive response without necessarily getting a court ruling,” he said. “And it’s a very unforgiving process. It doesn’t say sorry and it doesn’t compensate you for any hardship you suffered.”

Adamiak said she has already spent 20 days in jail and $50,000 defending herself against charges that would now be dropped under the deal. The 30-year-old York University student said she has depleted her savings to pay for her defence.

“It’s quite angering to know that the state cast a very wide net at the G20 and a lot of people had to go through a lot, not just myself,” she said. “To me, that’s part of the reason why taking a deal to end the process quickly is what made sense . . . because the process was the punishment.”

Adamiak admits there were points along the negotiation process where she felt strongly the trial should proceed.

Ultimately, it was more important to end the process quickly so she and the others could return to their political work as soon as possible, she said.

“The use of charges is a fear tactic. It’s to make us fear being part of particular organizations, to have particular ideologies,” she said. “But, if anything, it’s made me just much more eager to get back to the things we were fighting for before.”

[Mike Generic]

A collective statement from the final 17

November 22, 2011 — As people across Turtle Island look towards the global wave of protests against the austerity agenda, the memory of the 2010 G20 protests in Toronto looms large as both inspiration and caution. We are seventeen people accused by the state of planning to disrupt the leaders summit – the prosecutors call us the G20 Main Conspiracy Group.

This alleged conspiracy is absurd. We were never all part of any one group, we didn’t all organize together, and our political backgrounds are all different. Some of us met for the first time in jail. What we do have in common is that we, like many others, are passionate about creating communities of resistance.

Separately and together, we work with movements against colonialism, capitalism, borders, patriarchy, white supremacy, ableism, hetero/cis-normativity, and environmental destruction. These are movements for radical change, and they represent real alternatives to existing power structures. It is for this reason that we were targeted by the state.

Although these conspiracy charges have been a big part of our daily reality for the past year and a half, we have been slow in speaking out collectively. This is partly because of the restrictive bail conditions that were placed on us, including non-association with our co-accused and many of our close allies. In addition, those of us who did speak out have been subjected to a campaign of intimidation and harassment by the police and prosecutors. We are writing now because we have decided to resolve our charges to bring this spectacle to an end.

The state’s strategy after the G20 has been to cast a wide net over those who mobilized against the summit (over 1, 000 detained and over 300 charged) and then to single out those they perceived to be leaders. Being accused of conspiracy is a surreal, bureaucratic nightmare that few political organizers have experienced in this country, but unfortunately it is becoming more common. We can’t say with any certainty if what we did was in fact an illegal conspiracy. Ultimately though, whether or not our organizing fits into the hypocritical and oppressive confines of the law isn’t what’s important. This is a political prosecution. The government made a political decision to spend millions of dollars to surveil and infiltrate anarchist, Indigenous solidarity, and migrant justice organizing over several years. After that kind of investment, what sort of justice are we to expect?

We have not been powerless in this process; however any leverage we’ve had has not come from the legal system, but from making decisions collectively. This has been a priority throughout, particularly in the last several months, as the preliminary inquiry gradually took a back seat to negotiations for a deal to end it. The consensus process has been at times a heart-wrenching, thoughtful, gruelling, disappointing, and inspiring experience, and in the end, we got through it together.

Of the seventeen of us, six will be pleading and the eleven others will have their charges withdrawn. Alex Hundert, and Mandy Hiscocks are each pleading to one count of counselling mischief over $5,000 and one count of counselling to obstruct police, and Leah Henderson, Peter Hopperton, Erik Lankin, and Adam Lewis are each pleading to a single count of counselling mischief over $5,000. We are expecting sentences to range between 6 and 24 months, and all will get some credit for time already served in jail and on house arrest.

Three defendants in this case had their charges withdrawn earlier and one has already taken a plea to counselling mischief over $5,000 that involved no further jail time. This means that out of twenty-one people in the supposed G20 Main Conspiracy Group, only seven were convicted of anything, and none were convicted of conspiracy. The total of fourteen withdrawals demonstrates the tenuous nature of the charges.

This system targets many groups of people including racialized, impoverished and Indigenous communities, those with precarious immigration status, and those dealing with mental health and addiction. The kinds of violence that we have experienced, such as the pre-dawn raids, the strip-searches, the surveillance, and pre-sentence incarceration happen all the time. The seventeen of us have moved through the legal system with a lot of privilege and support. This includes greater access to “acceptable” sureties, and the financial means to support ourselves and our case. While the use of conspiracy charges against such a large group of political organizers is noteworthy, these tactics of repression are used against other targeted communities every day.

There is no victory in the courts. The legal system is and always has been a political tool used against groups deemed undesirable or who refuse to co-operate with the state. It exists to protect Canada’s colonial and capitalist social structure. It is also deeply individualistic and expensive. This system is designed to break up communities and turn friends against each other.

Within this winless situation, we decided that the best course of action was to clearly identify our goals and needs and then to explore our options. Within our group, we faced different levels of risk if convicted, and so we began with the agreement that our top priority was to avoid any deportations. Other key goals we reached were to minimize the number of convictions, to honour people’s individual needs, and to be mindful of how our decisions affect our broader movements. Although we are giving up some important things by not going to trial, this deal achieves specific goals that we weren’t willing to gamble.

Our conversations have always been advised by concern for the broader political impacts of our choices. One noteworthy outcome is that there are no conspiracy convictions emerging from this case, thus avoiding the creation of a dangerous legal precedent that would in effect criminalize routine tasks like facilitation. Taking this deal also frees up community resources that have been embroiled in this legal process.

We emerge from this united and in solidarity.

To those who took us in while on house arrest, to those who raised money for our legal and living expenses, to those who cooked food, wrote letters, offered rides and supported us politically and emotionally throughout, thank you.

To those in jail or still on charges from the anti-G20 protests, to political prisoners and prisoners in struggle, we are still with you.

To communities and neighbourhoods fighting back from Cairo to London, from Greece to Chile, in Occupied Turtle Island and beyond, see you in the streets.

http://conspiretoresist.wordpress.com/

[punkmar77]

^^Awesome...Pasaremos!

[THEBLACKNOVA]

Toronto G20 State Repression Goes International With the Arrest and Request for Extradition of American Activist

FEBRUARY 22, 2013

On Thursday, February 14th, at 6 o’clock in the morning, federal marshals arrested an American activist, Joel Bitar, in his New York, NY home on a provisional arrest warrant issued by the US Attorney’s office, acting on a foreign extradition request from Canadian authorities. The complaint against Joel cites 26 counts, almost all relating to property damage that occurred during the G20 summit protests in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in June 2010. After a temporary delay in court proceedings—due to an outbreak of lice in the federal prison where Joel and many others have the misfortune of being held, the weekend, and a national holiday on Monday—Joel went before Magistrate Judge, Gabriel W. Gorenstein, on Tuesday, February 19th, to determine whether he would be granted bail as he awaits his extradition hearing in the United States. During the proceedings, a general timeline of the actions of the Canadian and US authorities was established.

Joel was arrested in Toronto, along with a little over 1,100 other people, during the G20 protests on June 26 and 27th 2010, in what is thought to be the largest mass arrest in Canada’s history. Joel was processed and released without any charges. In December 2010, lead G20 investigator, Det. Sgt. Gary Giroux, announced to various Canadian news agencies that Canada was seeking the extradition of three Americans for damages amounting to $500,000. Soon after, Joel retained the services of an attorney, Martin Stolar, who contacted Giroux. According to Stolar’s testimony on Tuesday, Giroux confirmed that Joel was a suspect and they were investigating him on charges relating to property destruction. The Assistant U.S. Attorney said that the original complaint against Joel—which details the charges—was prepared in October 2011. Canadian authorities then spent some time going through their image and video database from the G20, as well as obtaining Facebook posts that Joel allegedly made regarding the G20 summit in Canada, and submitted a request for extradition in October 2012 which jumpstarted a winding process involving the US Embassy in Washington DC, the State Department, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. It is worth noting that in this time period beginning in December 2010 up until his arrest in February 2013, Joel traveled overseas several times, and was not arrested, although he was stopped by the Department of Homeland Security and questioned. Joel’s response was that they should speak to his lawyer.

Establishing this timeline of events took up the longest part of the proceedings, and there was much back-and-forth between the Assistant U.S. Attorney—who opposed bail, pressed US legal obligations in respect to treaties with Canada, and claimed that the allegations against Joel, which mostly relate to property damage, are extraditable offenses that endangered Canadian citizens—and Joel’s current attorney, Philip Weinstein—who argued several special circumstances (such as delay, the political nature of the charges, and community ties) that allow for bail in extradition cases. After some consideration, Judge Gorenstein granted bail on the basis of the special circumstance of “delay” (it had been over two years since Det. Sgt. Giroux had spoken with Martin Stolar, and alleged Joel’s involvement) and acknowledged Joel’s low risk of flight. The stipulations of the bail are steep: Joel was granted bail to the tune of $500,000—a little tit-for-tat—as well as house arrest with electronic monitoring. He was released into the custody of his parents on Wednesday, February 20th. His next court date—which is his actual extradition hearing—is currently scheduled for March 20th.

For those who may be unfamiliar, the G20 is a collection of finance ministers and central bank governors from nineteen powerful countries plus the European Union—along with representatives of international financial institutions. At G20 “summits” these figures are joined by top politicians to discuss their ongoing exploitation of the planet, its people and resources. Downtown Toronto was placed under heavy police control during the summit and protesters were arbitrarily arrested and held in a large film-studio, that was converted into a prison, specifically for the purpose of crushing dissent. It is well known that many were brutalized, insulted, or sexually humiliated by Canadian police, outraging large sectors of Canadian society. Protest organizers were attacked by police in their homes, arrested and charged for attending meetings and discussing protest plans.

The extradition of a protester for property damage is almost unprecedented in the histories of both the United States and Canada. Considering that state repression has been ratcheted ever higher in both countries over the past several years, this latest development comes with little surprise. Governments claim that property damage somehow endangers the lives of citizens, all the while their police and military forces brutalize and kill people at home and abroad that they deem undesirable—non-citizens. As long as there are states—and international summits of states—there will be protest and revolt by the non-citizens of the world. We are in solidarity with Joel Bitar—who is a friend, a son, a nephew, a Palestine solidarity activist, a co-worker, a prospective nursing student, and a real person whose life cannot be categorized so easily into the familiar tropes. The US and Canadian governments want to call him a criminal, and eventually, an inmate. We fight this legal process and will support Joel throughout this predicament. Joel’s case may be unique, but state repression is not. We are in solidarity with all comrades who face state repression, especially those in jail from G20 protest charges in Canada and the Pacific Northwest Grand Jury Resisters here in the US.

Source: http://supportjoel.com/2013/02/22/toron ... -activist/