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Sixteen still in custody after G20, lawyers say
Legal defence group calls for inquiry and release of ‘political prisoners’
Jennifer Yang Staff
Of the 1,090 people detained during the G20 weekend, approximately 16 remain in police custody, according to the Movement Defence Committee, a group of lawyers aiding those arrested during the summit.
In a news conference Monday, the MDC reiterated the call for an independent inquiry into the June 26-27 summit and demanded the release of anyone still held on G20-related charges.
“Those individuals who were arrested are clearly political prisoners,” said lawyer Ryan White of the MDC. They “were caught up in the state’s overreaching of their police powers and these individuals, first and foremost, should be freed as soon as possible.”
White alleged that protesters were taken into custody “specifically because of the political stance they had taken.” While he wouldn’t comment specifically, White said they face a charges including conspiracy, possession of dangerous weapons, mischief and obstruction of justice.
Toronto police spokesperson Wendy Drummond couldn’t confirm the number still jailed but confirmed that at least 14 G20-related cases are to appear in court Tuesday.
Asked whether police were justified in arresting anyone suspected of destroying property, White said the burden of proof was on the state. “If they have specific allegations against individuals, and they can prove that beyond reasonable doubt, then I think that’s something that would stand,” he said.
“You can take action against an individual, but you have to do so in a way that is humane, in a way that is consistent with the Charter, and what we’re saying is that the police have not done this at this point.”
Also speaking were representatives of the Council of Canadians, the Asian Canadian Labour Alliance and Jane and Finch Action Against Poverty.
Sarah Reaburn spoke on behalf of Toronto Street Medics, a small group that trained about 100 volunteers to provide first aid to injured demonstrators.
Reaburn, a nurse and counsellor at the Hassle Free Clinic, alleged that street medics were targeted and harassed by police as they tried to provide first aid. Several, including an EMS worker, were detained. One faces multiple charges, she said, including possession of a concealed weapon for carrying bandage shears.
Reaburn said the volunteers prepared for “extremely challenging situations” but did not anticipate the seriousness of the “hundreds” of injuries they faced, including broken arms, lacerations from riot shields and a shattered finger.
Reaburn said she was cut while giving first aid. She also treated a young man with a head injury who was showing symptoms of shock after being hit by a police baton.
“Despite numerous requests of police to assist us in transferring him, we were unable to get him transferred to EMS,” she said. “I ended up transferring him with assistance on a sandwich board, which we had taken from a store, and then we loaded him on the back of a vegetable truck” to get him to an ambulance.
The medics continue their work, helping arrested individuals retrieve medication that disappeared during their detention.
Source: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/torontog20summit/article/832173--sixteen-still-in-custody-after-g20-lawyers-say