Montréal, November 23rd 2011 – Yesterday, in a packed courtroom at the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto, the Crown counsel in charge of prosecuting the so-called “Main G20 Conspiracy Group” dropped all conspiracy charges against 17 organizers from Southern Ontario and Québec.
One of the 17, Patrick Cadorette, an organizer from the Anti-capitalist Convergence of Montréal (CLAC), had all his charges withdrawn by the Crown after almost 18 months spent under restrictive conditions, including 11 months under house arrest.
This new development is a result of a plea agreement between Crown and Defense counsel. Of the 17 charged with conspiracy, six pled guilty to “counseling” mischief, while the 11 others have had all their charges dropped.
“The public has heard a lot about police brutality and mass arrests at the G20 summit,” Cadorette says, “but the repression went a lot deeper than pictures of angry policemen beating on demonstrators. We now know that there was a complex strategy aimed at criminalizing political dissent and anti-capitalist organizing. This strategy included infiltration by undercover cops, the surveillance of various movements, the intimidation and harassment of activists, and hundreds of illegal searches and arbitrary detentions during the summit itself. The legal and penal system also played a major role in this strategy to criminalize dissent. Through imposing draconian bail conditions like strict non-association with targeted community organizations, long term house arrest, and banning organizing or attending public demonstrations, legal authorities clearly meant to weaken movements working for social and environmental justice and to discourage people who identify with these movements from getting involved. Add to all this the serious criminal charges targeting organizers, public defamation, and bail hearings held in the climate of mass hysteria following the protests, as well as the staggering amounts requested for cash bail, and you have all the elements of a perfect plan to demonize and criminalize political activism.”
The G20 Summit that was held in Toronto on June 26th and 27th, 2010, was marked by unprecedented mass arrests: 1105 people were arrested, and over 300 charged. Countless others were targets of police brutality and violations of their fundamental human rights. Of the 330 charged, no less than 198 have seen their charges dropped, withdrawn or rejected.
According to the Ligue des droits et libertés, “the proof that these arrests were purely preemptive, arbitrary and illegal was that of the 1,105 arrested, 800 were released without charges, and the charges that were laid were withdrawn in more than 150 of the cases […] charges have [also] been stayed in many cases. […] In fact, only between 3.6% and 9% of those arrested in Toronto on June 26th and 27th 2010 were charged, which clearly indicates that the arrests weren't justified by criminal behavior but that the objective was to prevent those people from participating in upcoming demonstrations.”
The tremendous number of conspiracy charges laid against activists is also alarming. According to Blandine Juchs, of CLAC's Legal Support Committee, “Using conspiracy charges is strategic. The Crown initially lays grossly exaggerated charges to make sure they have enough wiggle room to squeeze out some guilty pleas for lesser charges down the road. But the charge of “counseling” itself criminalizes the simple expression of political opinion at political events”.
Around 20,000 law enforcement personnel were deployed in Toronto during the G20 summit. Out of a $930 million dollar budget, $790 million (85%) was spent on security, with the lion’s share going to the RCMP, according to the Rapport du Comité permanent de la sécurité publique sur les sommets du G20 et du G8. Despite the public condemnations that have multiplied over the last year and a half (notably the Ontario Ombudsman’s report), all the police forces involved have gone unpunished and the politicians responsible for the security debacle still remain in the shadows.
“Its a real farce”, concludes Cadorette, “a big joke that cost a lot of money! And for what? Who can say today what the purpose of the Toronto G20 was? For us, one thing is clear, the G20 summits, the institution itself and its so-called leaders are completely illegitimate. At a time when revolts are sparking and multiplying everywhere against the tyranny of the market, austerity measures, economic inequalities, and wide-spread environmental destruction, the wealthy and their goons know full well that their days are numbered. They are shitting their pants. It’s why they’re spending hundreds of millions to put up fences and place thousands of armed cops between them and the rage of the People. In the end, history will remember us as those who tried to stop the only real criminal conspiracy that happened in Toronto in June 2010: the bunch of fucking G20 crooks.”
Read the collective statement by the « 17 » here: http://conspiretoresist.wordpress.com/
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Contact : Patrick Cadorette (514) 688-3065 -- info@clac-montreal.net
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