2011-12-27
GUELPH — Guelph activist Amanda Hiscocks expects to be before the courts again in connection with her advocacy efforts — even after she’s sentenced next month for her role in organizing protests at the G20 summit in Toronto.
That’s one of the revelations Hiscocks shared recently with Mercury reporter Rob O’Flanagan in a question-and-answer exchange, conducted via email. O’Flanagan pursued the Q & A session with Hiscocks and fellow Guelph activist Monica Peters after their participation in a plea-bargain agreement last month. It resolved the prosecution of a Crown case against them and more than a dozen other individuals described as the Toronto G20 ringleaders.
In that deal, Hiscocks, 37, pleaded guilty to counselling others to commit property damage and to counselling to obstruct a peace officer.
Charges facing Peters, 27, and 10 other co-accused individuals, were dropped in the Nov. 22 deal.
It was never proven that any of the people whom the accused counselled to commit such crimes actually did so, although windows were smashed and police cars were torched during the June 25 to 27, 2010, G20 summit, according to agreed facts presented in the court case.
Prosecutor Jason Miller and defence lawyers have already agreed the defendants who entered guilty pleas should receive terms ranging between three and 16 months on top of pretrial custody. Those sentences have not been confirmed by the court. Hiscocks is to be sentenced Jan. 13.
Following is an abbreviated version of the Q & A interview with Peters and Hiscocks.
Q: What is your cause? What do you stand for, and do you think your cause was helped or hindered by your arrest and the publicity that surrounded it?
Peters: I think that we need to find new ways of living on this Earth. The current order of things, the state and capitalism, are facilitating the destruction of this planet. Those who stand up for the freedom and the health of this planet are threatened with imprisonment. We need to learn not to be immobilized by fear, and can draw inspiration from those who do stand up for the benefit of us all.
Q: What have been the consequences nationally from what happened at the summit — the police action, the destruction, the scale of the protests? Has it changed the country, has it encouraged the protest movement?
Peters: The exposure of police brutality is one main thing that came out of the G20 summit. With over 1,000 arrests, the incredibly inhumane conditions in the detention centre and a huge budget that inflicted martial law upon Toronto, I think that people are starting to see the fascist nature of the state.
Q: Have the personal sacrifices, the notoriety, the consequences to personal reputation and finances been worth it?
Hiscocks: Absolutely. This past year and a half has shown me how strong and how resilient our communities can be when we stick together against the divide-and-conquer tactics of the state. It’s an amazing feeling and gives me a lot of hope.
Peters: I strive to live my life in such a way that I am accountable to future generations. And when I look at things that way, of course it is worth it. Because it is not about “my little life,” it is about the well-being of this planet. We need to do everything we can do to change the course we are heading in, toward a life-sustaining society.
Q: What will you do next in terms of both activism and in life generally?
Hiscocks: I’m expecting to be sentenced to 16 months in jail on Jan. 13. My short-term plans in terms of activism are to do whatever I can to improve conditions for people in jail and to help demystify the prison system for people who have never been incarcerated. I also hope to be able to keep up-to-date with the news and the environmental and social-justice work people are doing on the outside, so that I can join in and be useful when I’m released. I imagine my life will be pretty much the same when I get out — I plan to live in Guelph and get back to work.
Peters: I will continue on with my life. I will continue to try to have inspiring conversations with friends and strangers about how to stand up with this Earth. I will continue on, and I will not give in to the state’s attempt to silence us, because this Earth needs us all to stand up.
Q: Do you think the G20 summit actually achieved anything positive in the world, in terms of international relations or global economy?
Hiscocks: No. The very existence of the G20 perpetuates the global capitalist system, which is directly related to colonialism, environmental degradation, war, poverty, displacement and so on. The only positive thing the G20 could do is dismantle this economic system, but its leaders and its rich benefit so much from it that that will never happen.
Peters: The G20 summits resulted in austerity measures that are now being felt across the world, and are being met with resistance everywhere. I cannot look into the future enough to say if something is having a positive effect or not, but when I see people standing up all over the world, I feel inspired. People all over are increasingly demanding that things change, this voice will not go away and it will not be silenced.
Q: Do you worry about the long-term consequences for you of these criminal charges and subsequent convictions?
Hiscocks: No. These aren’t my first criminal convictions and they won’t be my last. I’ve known for a long time that if I’m going to do this work, which opposes power structures and capitalism, there will be consequences. I walk in this world with a lot of privilege, and so the consequences for me are far less severe than they would be for others, which makes it my responsibility to continue this work regardless of any potentially negative effects it could have on my life.
Peters: We may not all agree, this is where the beauty of our diversity comes from. So let us have conversations about how we differ. Let us come together and talk about strategy as we dream up the world we are working toward. Let us support one another, and find our strength in the resilience of our connections and friendships.
Loving friends, brothers, sisters, daughters and sons are going to jail for daring to believe that we can create a better world. Please support them. Guelph Anarchist Black Cross is collecting donations to cover collect phone calls, gas costs to visit friends in jail and canteen costs. You can visit their website at: guelphprisonersolidarity.wordpress.com.