Toronto HackLab member arrested by G20 security forces
theglobeandmail.com
theglobeandmail.com
Interestingly, Byron maintained a special blog that up until august, exposed security measures in and around the G20 zone and they're nailing him down because of it. http://torontogoat.blogspot.com/
Also note officials quietly passed a legislature on Monday that essentially gives the Police an absolute authority for the duration of the G20 in the Downtown core.
The number of police officers standing around downtown has to be seen to be believed, and this is not the first arrest in the last few days on seemingly trumped up charges.
My best wishes to Byron and his wife, hopefully this blows over without long-lasting consequences...
I had half of a nervous breakdown.
The G20 coming to Pittsburgh did more to radicalize my politics than years of listening to punk music and wearing black clothing.
EDIT: I actually posted a description of what it was like on Reddit, check it: http://www.reddit.com/r/Anarchism/comments/b21ws/what_should... And some photos taken by a friend of mine: http://seancolombo.com/g20/captioned/
The police's actions were what police do when they're scared and charged with doing the impossible. It doesn't excuse them, but it certainly doesn't provide a case against any standing governments.
The 'anarchists' actions were presented by them to be 'the right thing to do.' If deliberately getting the police to hurt people is a good thing, then I want no part in it.
All I'll say is that seeing my city under siege by a military force (because that's how the cops were dressed and acting) had a profound effect on my worldview. I certainly felt more empathy with the Iraqis after that day.
I think that if you're going to organize something like the G20 it should be held in a remote location. Easier to secure, less disruption for everyone else...
We had half the Met. (London's police force) up here acting like thugs. Meanwhile, some lunatics blew themselves up on the London Underground.
These meetings are a farce. Anything that's going to be agreed at the meeting was in reality agreed beforehand. Why bother creating a target for protestors and a distraction that evil bastards can use?
Never mind a remote location - why do it at all?
It's really annoying that they're paying a hella lot more for all this security when the rest of the city needs some cash.
In theory, this is understandable, a crime committed at a protest could well include something like assaulting police or destroying property. But I'm disturbed by the direction these laws are going and I really don't like the idea of taking photographs or other such actions branding someone as a "criminal."
He wrote this a few days before the bust.
Hopefully he'll be fine though. The criminal "justice" system doesn't take kindly to pranksters like this.
The fact that I felt uncomfortable expressing myself about a subject that is perfectly legal is the reason why we should be scared that this happened, and why we should be thankful to Byron for taking the heat to point out to us how the system is broken...