2010-10-24
Community organizer Alex Hundert was arrested this morning at his surety’s home. He has been arrested on an unfounded allegation, and one clearly designed to return Hundert to prison.
“I witnessed the alleged incident, and I’m confident that this charge is unfounded. It is a further attempt to silence and incarcerate my brother,” said Jonah Hundert, who was with Alex at the time. “This most recent attempt to vilify him will not work, and support will continue.”
This arrest is yet another attempt to intimidate and harass Alex and other anti-G20 organizers. The Crown is seeking his detention and attempting to have his bail revoked. This is the fourth time that the Crown has sought his detention in the past five months. This most recent attempt to imprison Alex, and intimidate activists and critics of the government, demonstrates the desperation and heavy handedness of the Crown and the police. The Crown is grasping at straws in an attempt to put Alex in jail for as long as possible.
“The Movement Defence Committee is deeply concerned that Alex Hundert continues to be targeted by the state, this is his third arrest under questionable circumstances,” says Ryan White from the Committee.
He has been targeted by the police on a number of occasions and was arrested for speaking against the G20 in September at a panel discussion. Community organizations and individuals have rallied behind Hundert, in opposition to this blatant intimidation. This arrest was clearly an attempt to silence political dissent and impede public discussion about the G20 and the police abuses during the G20 protests. Following this arrest, he was jailed for over a month before being released.
The G20, the 20 countries with the largest economies, met in Toronto last June. Currently, G20 austerity measures are snatching away health, educational and social services, while the governments of G20 countries continue to bail out banks and corporations. G20 policies further colonization and destruction of Indigenous nations and their lands in Canada and around the world. These policies also displace millions of people a year, many of whom come here and are forced to deal with the racist and oppressive Canadian immigration system. While communities are faced with massive cuts, to social assistance, housing, and countless other social programs, these meetings cost over $1 billion to police.
Numerous organizations expressed public support for Alex after his last arrest. These include: the Canadian Labour Congress, Canadian Association of Journalists, Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Wilfred-Laurier University Faculty Association, Canadian Association of University Teachers, Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, No One Is Illegal, AW@L, Toronto Community Solidarity Network, and OPIRG Toronto.
While in custody, he remains under his existing bail conditions.
More information will be provided as it becomes available.