2010-06-26
by Tim Groves
Three house where G20 protesters have been staying were raided last night; activists staying at the houses were arrested. Six or more arrest warrants were issued and at least four of the people named in the warrants have been arrested and charged with conspiracy.
“The people arrested were involved in Indigenous sovereignty organizing, environmental organizing, and anti poverty organizing,” said Mac Scott, a member of the Movement Defence Committee, which provides legal support for activists. They “believe this is an abrogation of Section 2 of the [Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom],” which guarantees Candians’ fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of association and freedom of thought.
Police arrived at a house where 15 activists were staying at approximately 4:45am.
“They did not have a warrant, we asked for a warrant. They asked for identification, they asked us questions, we refused. People were detained, people asked to call legal council. We were refused to be allowed to call legal council,” said Niki Thorne, a resident of the house. Even when a warrant was later provided, those being arrested were not allowed to fully read the warrant before it was taken away from them. “They were kicking people out of bed, kicking pople awake,” she added.
“I was in a tent in the backyard. We got woken up by two cops and put in cuffs, and there were probably at least six or eight police in the house,” said Marya Folinsbee, who was staying at the house and is a friend of the man who was arrested. “They were trying to identify people. They had a big stack of papers with names and face of activists, some were organizers and some were people just doing child care for the protests.”
The upstairs neighbours, a family with a young baby, were also visited by police.
“The neighbours who were not connected to the protest had a gun held to his head when he woke up. It’s so fucked it’s so fucked,” said an shaken Folinsbee. “They put neighbours who lived in the building in cuffs.”
One of the activists staying in the house was taken in his underwear into a paddy wagon waiting outside. The others in the house gathered on the front porch and sang loudly so that he could hear.
Another house had its door kicked in and a warrant left on the table. Two activists who live in the house have been arrested and a third person staying at the house was also been arrested, according to sources at the Toronto Community Mobilization Network.
Another unit in the same building also had it door kicked in.
Two other activists have been informed that there are warrants out for their arrest, and it is believed that they will be turning themselves in to police.
According to a tweet from the Movement Defence Committee the arrests were of “key organizers.”
“We have a message to all those today: rights have never been granted or given, they have won,” said Scott on behalf of the Movement Defence Committee.
Supporters of those arrested will gather outside the Toronto Film Studios starting at noon to provide solidarity. The film studios have been converted into a temporary jail. They are located at 629 Eastern Ave.