TORONTO--Police have raided activists' homes in the middle of the night, swarmed and beat protestors in the designated free speech zone, and continue to brutally assault and arrest people gathered at jail solidarity demonstrations outside a temporary detention centre. The Toronto Community Mobilization Network and Movement Defence Committee held a press conference on Queen Street West in Parkdale, at 3pm, 27 June 2010. Following the press conference, the assembled crowd moved towards the TCMN's convergence space, where they were then encircled by riot police outside, were not permitted to leave, and then at least 20 people were arrested... Although the G20 Summit is over, the arrests continue...
visit http://2010.mediacoop.ca for news produced by members of the g20 alternative media centre (where at least six of our journalists have been arrested)
For more information, please also visit: http://movementdefence.org/G20appeal
The MDCâs Summit Legal Support Project is appealing to the movements it supports to mobilize a show of political strength and solidarity for the nearly 500 people arrested in the last four days. The Toronto Police and the ISU appear to have lost control of their âprisoner processing centreâ, denying arrestees meaningful and timely access to counsel while beating and arresting those peacefully protesting their detention outside.
Despite assurances to the contrary, only a handful of people have been released, including those held for many hours without charge. Arrestees are given incorrect information about the bail process they will be subjected to, and friends and family members gather hours early at the courthouse, located far from the city center and inaccessible via transit. Our lawyers call in and are told that there is no one available to make decisions or wait for hours at the detention centre, only to be denied access to their clients. Almost 500 people are in custody and we know from experience that the vast majority of those charges will disappear and yet the cell doors remain shut.
We need to step it up and build a political response. We need many more voices â especially prominent ones â to say that the abuse and incompetence at 629 Eastern Avenue must stop. We must demand that all levels of government take control of the police forces under their command. We need to ensure that courts and crown attorneys act to enforce constitutional rights rather than collude in their violation.