“We are outraged”, said Jessica Denyer of the Community Solidarity
Network. “The Toronto Police in collaboration with the ‘G20 Special
Investigative Unit’ have declared an all out war against community
activists in Toronto. They are trying to make examples out of people to
send a message to the broader public to not step out of the line, to not
dare to voice a dissenting view. They are trying to set a precedent for
what would happen to us if we dare speak out against their brutality
and injustice”, she added.
This arrest follows on the heels of the arrest of Alex Hundert, a
community organizer based in Toronto also charged with G20 related
“conspiracy”, for attending a panel discussion at Ryerson University at
the invitation of a faculty member there. Following the arrest of Alex,
the police intimidated Leah Henderson, another community activist facing
similar “conspiracy” charges by threatening to arrest her if she spoke
at a panel discussion in Edmonton.
Rachel Avery, member of AW@L- a social justice group based in
Kitchener- said, “The police don’t want people speaking out, because
they don’t want the public to hear what more than 40,000 people in
Toronto demonstrated for during the G20--Indigenous sovereignty,
ecological justice, gender justice, and economic justice. They are using
these continued attacks on our communities as means to justify the $1.2
billion the Conservative government splurged during the G20, much of it
on ‘security’.”
At an earlier press conference on Monday, Nathalie Des Rosiers, General
Counsel at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, said “These acts of
intimidation and politically motivated arrests by the Police that seek
to silence critics of the government are a clear and illegal violation
of the charter rights to freedom of free speech and to freedom of
peaceful assembly”
Dr. Abeer Majeed a family physician and member of Health for All was
present at the event last night. She says of the arrest, "Last night was
a public educational forum at the University of Toronto on the impact
of G20 policies and austerity measures on health. Police intimidation of
those engaging in critical policy discussion is wholly unacceptable"
Jaroslava appeared in court today at 10am at the College Park Courthouse
supported by friends, family and community activists. Bail conditions
pending.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, September 30th
