CANADIAN POLITICS:
FURTHER CROSS COUNTRY EVENTS ON THE G20 FALLOUT:
The repercussions of the police riot during last summer's G20 summit in Toronto continue to echo, as do the issues raised by the demonstrators there. The following is a compilation of upcoming events in Toronto and elsewhere relevant to this issue. It comes from the Toronto Community Solidarity Network.
G20G20G20G20G20G20
A Call for Court Support + Upcoming G20 Legal Defence Fundraisers & Community Solidarity Network Endorsed Events
A: Call for Court Support in Toronto:
November 30-December 2 - G20 “conspiracy” bail challenge - Jaggi Singh
B: G20 Legal Defence Fundraisers:
Toronto:
November 30 -PWYC DOCUMENTARY DOUBLE FEATURE NIGHTS. @ SOYBOMB!
December 3 - Radical Movie Night
December 18 - AntiCapitalist Holiday Bash!
Saskatchewan:
November 29 - Regina: Lessons from the G20 Protests and State Repression
December 3 - Saskatoon: Building Movements of Resistance: Lessons from the G8/G20 Organizing
Radical Cookbook Callout - Your Recipes Needed!
C: Community Solidarity Network Endorsed Events in Toronto:
December 1 - Give Rob Ford the Welcome He Deserves!
December 4 - People’s Assembly on Climate Justice
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A: Call for Court Support in Toronto:
-G20 “conspiracy” bail challenge continues at Ontario Superior Court
-Defendant to ask that all bail conditions are rescinded, including ban on demonstrations
When: Tuesday, November 30, 10am
Where: Ontario Superior Court at 361 University Avenue
between Dundas & Queen Street
(for exact courtroom location, look for “Singh, Jaggi” on the court roll)
If you oppose the restrictive bail conditions imposed on all G20 “conspiracy” defendants – ban on demonstrations, house arrest, non-association, ban on passports and cellphones, and more -- we ask that you attend court in large numbers this TUESDAY.
The bail review might continue on Wednesday and Thursday, but we’ll provide more details after the Tuesday hearing, which this time is expected to last most of the day. We are hoping as many people as possible can attend the beginning of the hearings on Tuesday from 10am to 1pm (approx) and then again from 2pm-4:30pm (approx).
BACKGROUND:
This week, starting on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, one of the 19 remaining co-accused in the G20 conspiracy case will be challenging all bail conditions imposed as conditions of release from prison.
These restrictive and onerous conditions include house arrest, non-association with various individuals and groups, the inability to possess a passport or to use a cell phone, and more. Other co-accused face even more restrictive curfews and house arrest conditions. In sum, the bail conditions are meant to keep defendants isolated and marginalized from their communities of support.
The conditions themselves constitute punishment of fellow community organizers before they’ve even had a trial.
Significantly, the bail conditions include a ban on participating, organizing or attending “any public demonstration.” These restrictive conditions have been used to jail co-accused Alex Hundert for simply speaking at a university panel. Alex remains in detention, and is expected to remain in detention until at least January/February 2011.
Jaggi Singh, a member of the Anti-Capitalist Convergence (CLAC) and No One Is Illegal-Montreal, and a co-accused in the G20 conspiracy case, has been under house arrest conditions for four months. This Tuesday, with the support of Toronto lawyer Peter Rosenthal as well as other allies, he will ask that all conditions be rescinded.
Jaggi’s court application is supported by various witnesses and affidavits. Part of the application includes an extended affidavit by Bryan Palmer, an historian of labour and social movements.
PEN Canada will also be intervening in the case in support of rescinding the “no demonstration” condition. In their words: “Preventing someone from participating in a public demonstration does nothing to ensure the safety of a single Canadian.”
The Ligue des droits et libertés from Québec also issued a public statement in support of Jaggi’s challenge. They describe the bail conditions as "draconian" and "an abusive interpretation" of the Charter, "contrary to the presumption of innocence.”
We strongly encourage you to “demonstrate” (pardon the word) in court and to the public that there is a community of support that rejects the bail conditions that have been imposed on our friends and allies. So, if you can, please attend court this TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, whether for 30 minutes, or the whole day.
[NOTE: There is a compulsory search before entering the Court building; the search includes emptying your pockets, going through a metal detector, as well as a x-ray scan of any bag or package you’re bringing into the building.]
TO STAY IN TOUCH, and for updates:
La Convergence des luttes anticapitalistes, CLAC (Montreal): blocampmontreal@gmail.com - www.clac2010.net
Community Solidarity Network (Toronto): community.mobilize@resist.ca - http://g20.torontomobilize.org/
SUPPORTERS AND MEDIA can get updates about what’s happening at court by phoning Jessica Denyer (Community Solidarity Network) at 416-708-3195, Craig Fortier (No One Is Illegal-Toronto) at 416-735-0409, or Blandine Juchs (La Convergence des luttes anticapitalistes, CLAC) at 438-838-8498.
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B: G20 Legal Defence Fundraisers:
TORONTO:
PWYC DOCUMENTARY DOUBLE FEATURE NIGHTS. @ SOYBOMB!
Date: November 30
Time: 8:30-11:30pm EST
Location: SOYBOMB! (156 Bathurst St., Toronto ON)
Exploring Forgotten Urban Spaces
This week we look into forgotten urban spaces, the people who explore them for fun, and the people who live in them.
Dark Days (2000)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0235327/
"A cinematic portrait of the homeless population who live permanently in the underground tunnels of New York City. "
Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness (2007)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1249189 /
"A documentary about abandoned, neglected, or otherwise "off limits" places...and the people who explore them."
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This is a pay-what-you-can series of documentary screenings every Tuesday @ Soybomb, and all the proceeds will be donated to the G20 Legal Defence Fund. for more info check: http://g20.torontomobilize.org/support
FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=126316160763227
FB Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=117635874952714
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Radical Movie Night
Date: December 3
Time: 7pm-midnight EST
Location: Bike Pirates (1292 Bloor St W., Toronto ON)
On Friday December 3rd we will be hosting a radical movie night to raise funds for our friends and allies facing G20 related legal charges.
Come join us for an amazing night of movies, drinks, board games, snacks, hanging out, and all around rockin good times.
Newly designed G20 Legal Defence Tshirts & patches will also be for sale.
7pm – 9pm: Land and Freedom (Tierra y Libertad)
Directed by Ken Loach, this 1995 film narrates the story of David Carr, an unemployed worker of the Communist Party of Great Britain, who decides to fight for the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War. A heart wrenching portrayal of the attempt by ordinary people to build an anarchist society, and its subsequent betrayal. The movie won the FIPRESCI International Critics Prize and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.
10:30-midnight: What to do in Case of Fire (Was tun, wenn’s brennt?)
Directed by Gregor Schnitzler, this 2002 film tells the humorous and touching story of six anarchist friends living as squatters in Berlin in the 80s, when they leave a handcrafted bomb in a mansion. Only thirteen years later the bomb explodes, wounding two people, forcing the group to reunite and, ultimately, come to grips with the reason they separated years ago.
Free popcorn!
Pay what you can (suggested $5-10). Come for one or both movies.
All proceeds go to the G20 Legal Defence Fund.
FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118997408162612
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AntiCapitalist Holiday Bash!
Date: December 18
Time: 6:30pm-1am EST
Location: U of T Grad Students' Union Gym (16 Bancroft Ave., Toronto ON)
Does the hyper-consumer craziness of the holiday season have you feeling down? Amidst the twinkle lights and the insidious calls to shop, shop and shop some more, are you spending your spare moments plotting the eventual demise of capitalism?
If so, you should join us for the Anti-Capitalist Holiday Bash! On Saturday, December 18th the Community Solidarity Network Fundraising Committee will be throwing the anti-capitalist event of the season to fundraise for our friends and allies facing G20 related charges.
Join us for a community dinner (vegan and vegetarian options will be served), followed by an evening of low key musical performances, workshops, games, prison letter writing, and a ‘really really free market’ exchange.
Tickets: $10-15 sliding scale, or PWYC (no one will be turned away for lack of funds)
All proceeds go to the G20 Legal Defence Fund.
If you have anything to donate for the free exchange, would be interested in helping with food preparation, or would like to help out in any other way please email us at events.g20solidarity@gmail.com .
Hope to see you there!
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SASKATCHEWAN:
Regina: Lessons from the G20 Protests and State Repression
Date: November 29
Time: 7:30-10:30pm CST
Location: The Hookah Lounge (2115 Broad St.,Regina SK)
This past June, the world's attention was drawn to the streets of Toronto, where thousands of demonstrators protesting the G20 summit were met with violent repression and the largest mass arrest in Canadian history. While the media frenzy has now subsided, activists continue to be targeted by police, and scores of community organizers have been shackled with far-reaching bail conditions and the prospect of extensive jail time. The need for support and solidarity in the face of this ongoing repression continues, as does the responsibility to carry on the work of building movements of resistance to the G20 agenda.
Sharmeen Khan, a spokesperson for the Toronto Community Mobilization Network, will be speaking in Regina on the lessons learned from organizing in the lead-up to the G20 protests, as well as the criminalization of dissent surrounding the Summit. Khan will discuss the broad-based opposition to the G20 and the reasons why thousands of demonstrators came together in Toronto this past June, as well as the aftermath of police repression and ongoing legal battles.
Admission to this event is free, though we are asking participants to donate what they can to go toward the G20 Legal Defense Fund, which is seeking to raise $500,000 to go toward the legal expenses of those facing charges from the protests. For those who wish to donate, but cannot attend, please go to G20.torontomobilize.org for details on how to make a contribution.
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Sharmeen Khan grew up and became politicized in Regina, Saskatchewan, where she contributed to Briarpatch Magazine and the Prairie Dog. She was active in the women's movement in Victoria and Vancouver before moving to Toronto to complete her MA in Communications. Sharmeen now works for the Ontario Public Interest Research Group at York University, and is also an editor with Upping the Anti: A Journal of Theory of Action.
FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=176713215675033
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Saskatoon: Building Movements of Resistance: Lessons from the G8/G20 Organizing and the Repression of Dissent
Date: December 3
Time: 7:30-9:30pm CST
Location: Grace Westminster United Church (505 10th St E., Saskatoon SK)
2010 SASKATOON ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR KEYNOTE ADDRESS
In this talk, Toronto-based community organizer and independent media activist Sharmeen Khan will speak about her experiences and insights into the resistance to the G8/G20 summits which took place in Toronto in June of 2010.
The summits are now infamous for the massive scale of the security operation which cost Canadian taxpayers nearly $1 billion as well as the size and violence of the police crackdown on dissent. By the end of the weekend, nearly 1100 arrests had been made (the largest mass arrests in Canadian history) and stories began to emerge of widespread abuse of arrestees and the trampling of civil liberties.
In the talk, Sharmeen will cover a range of topics related to the G8/G20 protests including:
- the broad-based organizing efforts that took place in the lead-up to the summits (which built links between diverse communities and strove to empower people living in marginalized communities to speak with their own voices about the issues facing them in their day-to-day lives),
- the police repression targeting key community organizers and the sweeping arrests which saw thousands of police round up protesters, bystanders, journalists and legal observers alike,
- the ongoing legal support of the 100 or so people still facing charges,
- and the overall impact that the event and its aftermath have had on organizing efforts for grassroots social change.
Please join us to listen and discuss this timely and important issue in the struggle to build a more just and sustainable world.
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Sharmeen Khan was a media spokesperson for the Toronto Community Mobilization Network, the main network organizing the resistance against the G20. She now works at the Ontario Public Interest Research Group at York University.
FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129482140443512
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Radical Cookbook Callout!
Deadline: January 1st 2011
Calling all radical cooks and activist bakers- we need your help!
The Community Solidarity Network's Fundraising committee is in the process of putting together a cookbook to sell as a fundraiser for the G20 legal defence fund, and are seeking recipe submissions.
From dinner dishes to desserts, and everything in between we want your recipes!
To submit a recipe, or if you have any questions email us at:
g20cookbook [at] gmail.com
FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=168121463200994
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C: Community Solidarity Network Endorsed Events in Toronto:
Give Rob Ford the Welcome He Deserves!
Date: December 1
Time:12pm EST
Location:Toronto City Hall (100 Queen St W., Toronto ON)
Mayor Ford: Respect People!
On December 1, Rob Ford becomes Mayor of Toronto. In his campaign speeches and his public statements, Ford has called for cuts to fair wages, a dismantling of the already inaccessible public transit system, supported Toronto's police brutality during the G20, and repeatedly expressed racist anti-immigrant sentiments and outright hatred for poor people.
While claiming to speak on behalf of the 'majority', Ford actually believes in a Toronto for the few. He believes in a Toronto divided into suburbs and the downtown. A Toronto divided into streetcar riders, bikers and drivers. A Toronto divided into immigrants, refugees and citizens. A Toronto where the homeless are driven out of sight as social housing is sold off to developers. A Toronto where police budgets grow and cops act with impunity. A Toronto that is open for business, but closed for the public.
This is not our Toronto. Our Toronto is about justice, dignity, and respect for immigrants, precarious workers, poor people and unions.
On December 1, at 12noon, a public, family friendly demonstration is being called outside City Hall as Rob Ford becomes Mayor to remind him what the people of this city need, expect and demand.
Please invite all your friends. Keep visiting http://ocap.ca/ and http://toronto.nooneisillegal.org/ for updates.
FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=136768189707239
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People’s Assembly on Climate Justice
Date: December 4
Time: 9:30am-5pm EST
Location: Sidney Smith Hall - rm 2118 (100 St George St., Toronto ON)
On June 23rd 2010, in advance of the G20, Toronto held its first People’s Assembly in community response to the climate crisis. Now on December 4th, 2010, activists, groups, community organizers and neighbourhood participants will gather for the second Toronto People’s Assembly on Climate Justice.
Faced with the illegitimate and false solutions promoted through the UN climate talks, La Via Campesina has called for the creation of a thousand Cancuns to counter the next round of negotiations in Mexico from Nov. 29th to Dec. 11th. For Dec. 4th, the Global Climate Campaign has initiated an international day of action, and the national call-out by the Council of Canadians to hold countrywide assemblies on the same day has been answered by communities across Canada. The second Assembly, as a manifestation of these calls to resistance, will serve as the launching point for a series of regular Assemblies in an effort to build a united movement for Climate Justice in Toronto.
The challenge of the climate crisis can only be met with a coordinated response that will bring forth our power in numbers. It also requires that we confront the root causes of the crisis and not just the symptoms. Through a horizontal people’s process, the Assembly will seek to create a space where we can work together to share experience, knowledge, and resources in order to build a local response to a global crisis. The Assembly hopes to work towards this objective through channels of collective dialogue and community empowerment.
Our goal is to generate new possibilities and new hopes in order to bridge the gap from separately operating groups, communities, and individuals, to converge into one diverse, united movement. We must equip ourselves with the tools we need to fulfill our potential as an effective Social and Climate Justice community.
For More information:
The Toronto People’s Assembly on Climate Justice
http://www.torontopeoplesassembly.wordpress.com/
peoplesassembly.toronto@gmail.com
647-869-6496
Sponsors: Council of Canadians, Greenpeace, OPIRG-Toronto, Toronto Climate Campaign, Toronto Bolivia Solidarity
Endorsers: Canadian Youth Climate Coalition, Canadian Animal Liberation Movement, Community Solidarity Network, Community Solidarity Response Toronto, Earth Rangers, ecoSanity, Environmental Justice Toronto, Indigenous Environment Network, Kairos-Toronto, Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, Polaris Institute, Science For Peace, Toronto Vegetarian Association
FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=107327446002085
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Support all those still facing charges. Donate to the G20 Legal Defence Fund:
http://g20.torontomobilize.org/
