April 28, 2011

Today, Jaggi Singh of No One is Illegal Montreal is in a Toronto Courtroom over charges related to last year’s mobilization against the gathering of the G20. He is pleading guilty to a charge of ‘counseling to commit mischief over $5,000’. This is how his support for resistance to an international gathering of thieves and murderers has been characterized by the State’s prosecutors.

Jaggi’s decision to plead guilty in this matter is a tactical one that we understand and respect. He offers no cringing apologies and implicates no one. He takes what he considers to be the best course to dispose of the charges he has been facing, including three counts of criminal conspiracy, and resume, unimpeded, his vital role in the struggle against everything that was on the agenda at last year’s G20 gathering.

Press conference in front of old ciy hall (courtesy- rabble.ca)

Tuesday March 15th — 5PM
51 Division (Front and Parliament St.)

One week last summer the police turned the whole City into a prison. But in poor neighbourhoods, it’s the G20 everyday. Communities are under attack by the Police because they are poor, homeless, racialized, First Nations and immigrants. We are further abused when we fight back. Our communities are under attack because the police exist to maintain a social order in this country that protects the government, the banks, and the rich while criminalizing the rest.

Despite the trillions of dollars stolen, embezzled and extorted by banks and finance companies that led to this recession, the police are not in the habit of kicking down doors on Bay St. But they are kicking down doors, ticketing, arresting, beating and killing people in poor communities.

March 15th is the International Day Against Police Brutality. A day to bring awareness to the violence, torture, intimidation and harassment by our governments' Police Forces. We, the people, the victims and the survivors will come together to raise our voices to show that we will not stay silent!

Brief Audio of Gaetan Heroux Speaking at Rally:

On November 4, the Crown Attorney's Office finally faced reality and dropped charges of mischief and forcible entry against nine members & supporters of OCAP

These preposterous charges were laid by the cops on July 21, after an OCAP delegation went into the Liberal offices, hung a banner out of the window and addressed a crowd that had gathered outside to resist the cut to the Special Diet and demand the raising of welfare and disability rates. There are now no ongoing conditions or criminal records for the nine to deal with, although the Crown sought to save face by insisting on each person making a small charitable donation under their system of 'diversion'.

All nine people were first told they would be facing trespass charges but this was changed to mischief (a criminal charge) and, later that evening, forcible entry charges were added. Each of those accused had to line up a surety to put up money and vouch for them, were subjected to strip searches and were locked up over a period spanning two days before a judge ordered their release. Bail conditions placed limits on the activity of those charged and their right to associate with each other was limited.

Press Conference and Court Support

Thursday November 20th, 2008

8:30 am

Old City Hall

(Queen & Bay)

Free coffee & doughnuts

Matthew Rickwood, a young Toronto man, is appearing in court on Thursday with his lawyer, after being charged under the Safe Streets Act this summer for "encumbering of street".

In June, Matthew had just sat down on the sidewalk in Toronto's downtown east end, when he was approached by cops and served with a court summons. He had already been given multiple tickets, carrying fines he simply cannot pay. More to the point, he had done nothing wrong. Living on social assistance, after paying his rent and board each month, Matthew is left with $56 to survive.

June 21 - 4pm
Allan Gardens
Free Meal - Entertainment

Turf Wars: Low Income Neighbourhoods vs. Upscale Redevelopment

From 2004 to 2007, Tickets Under the Safe Streets Act have Increased 288%

As the grotesque oversupply of housing for the rich creeps into poor areas of the city, a ruthless drive to push out homeless people gathers force. People are targeted by cops. Those forced to beg on the streets are hounded and their civil liberties disregarded. Services to the homeless are curtailed by the city. Hundreds of shelter beds are taken out of the hostel system and the places that remain become overcrowded dangerous hell holes. Under the City's Streets to Homes project, homeless people are dumped in tiny rooms with no resources and no support, in conditions that make the shelters look humane. The War on Homeless People has grown uglier and gained in speed.

Defy the process of upscale development - join a takeover of a city park for the homeless. Help OCAP ensure that the covert plot to drive the homeless from view is made a public issue.

Download Poster PDF (4 mb)