Maya Rolbin-Ghanie: The Erosion of "Rights": a quick descent

The Erosion of "Rights": a quick descent

Toronto Media Co-op
By Maya Rolbin-Ghanie

Groups of undercover police were repeatedly identified by protesters at marches occurring between Monday and Wednesday. Some were reportedly wearing black baseball caps, bandanas with marijuana leaf-designs on them, and patches with Che Guevara on them. When asked by journalists if they were police, none denied it. Several arrests were made each day, habitually after the days' demonstrations had dispersed and people were leaving the scene.

On Thursday we all discovered that a regulation created by the authority of the Public Works Act had been passed in secret on June 2nd, which essentially allows for anyone within five metres of the G20 security fence (even if they happen to just be walking by), to be searched eithout reason, asked for their ID, detained, and even possibly arrested. Dave Vasey did not wish to show his ID without reason and consequently was the first person to be arrested under this new regulation. He is facing court on July 28. Many other similar searches, detainments, and arrests have been made since.

One woman accused by police of trying to break into a building. When she spoke to the press it was revealed that the building was her place of work and she had been using her keys to get inside.

On Friday morning at 4:45am Police pre-emptively raided 2 Toronto houses where activists were staying. No warrant for arrest was shown. Police kicked people from their beds and made arrests. A tenant residing upstairs in one of the houses awoke to a gun in his face, and was cuffed and arrested, before being released and told that that he had been mistakenly arrested. Later the same morning, police arrested 15-20 organizers from Montreal. A spokesperson for the Toronto Community Mobilization Network was arrested on his way to a press conference to discuss the roundup of activists and organizers by police. Another organizer slated to be at the press conference was picked up by police, driven around for an hour without being told where she was being taken, and eventually dropped off in Mississagua. What many find most significant here, is the pre-emptive nature of these raids (many arrested were the organizers of demonstrations and events yet to take place), and the appalling lack of due process in making the arrests. Bail is being set high for some: between $1000 and $5000. Some are being faced with charges more severe than others, “conspiracy to committ mischief” among them.

In the early morning, 80 workers from Hotel Novotel' s Unite Here! Local 75 went on strike. The strike was triggered after Accor, the French company that owns Novatel, walked away from negotiations without addressing an offer put on the table by the union, which included basic demands for a pension plan and guaranteeing workers enough hours to make a living.

Emomotimi Azorbo, a deaf man unrelated to G20 organizing, was beaten and arrested because he did not hear police commands to stay off the road. Azorbo was handcuffed, preventing him from communicating with officers, who also refused his friend's offer to interpret. Azorbo was refused an American Sign Language interpreter in the temporary jail where G20 arrestees are being held. He is charged with three counts of assaulting police plus resisting arrest.

While trying to film Azorbo's violent arrest, Jesse Freeston, of the Real News Network, was punched in the face twice by police, and had his microphone temporarily confiscated while other media crowded around and yelled for the police to return it.

On Saturday, there was no sign of protester violence, among the 25, 000 plus people who took to the streets, contrary to what many corporate media reports are conveying. A few banks, franchises and corporations had their wondows smashed in symbolic shows of property damage. On the contrary, levels of police violence have been extreme and brutal. Police repeatedly attacked and arrested peaceful protesters and journalists.

A number of police cars which were set on fire. They were abandoned in the middle of intersections beforehand, and stripped of all their equipment by police--the cars were discovered to have been damaged previously, which led to reports that the police had purposefully left the cars there as bait, hoping to tempt protesters to set the cars on fire, in order to justify their own violent acts. Later accounts have led many to believe that the fires themselves were set by undercover police, or agents provocateurs.

One journalist was beaten by police.

Another community organizer was violently thrown around by police and later arrested, with several “severe” charges.

Jesse Rosenfeld, journalist with The Guardian, was punched in the eye, and violently arrested, being told he “talked too much.” At least four more Alternative Media journalists were arrested throughout the day.

A CTV producer and 2 National Post journalists were also arrested.

Continued. . .