We write to express our ongoing support and solidarity for the G20 defendants. We support the decision of the G20 defendants to enter into a plea agreement with the Crown. We also wish to express our deep sadness and dismay that key community organizers will be serving potentially lengthy jail sentences.

As lawyers, law students and legal workers who work with and support social movements, we recognize that there may be limited opportunities for victories before the courts. Both historically and in the present, the legal system, including criminal charges against activists, have often been used as a tool to suppress social movements for progressive social change. The MDC opposes the use of conspiracy charges to this end. We believe that it is an important victory that no convictions or guilty pleas were obtained on the conspiracy charges laid against the G20 Defendants.

An article entitled “G20 Conspiracy Case: The Inside Story,” published on CrimethInc.com at http://www.crimethinc.com/blog/2011/11/24/g20-conspiracy-case-the-inside..., and also published on infoshop.org at http://infoshop.org/page/toronto-g20-conspiracy, has claimed that "cops in the MDC us(ed) information meant to help protestors with their legal defense against them." The article also states that information from the Movement Defence Committee (MDC), a working group of the Law Union of Ontario, was used against a specific G20 defendant.

These claims appear to be based on a misunderstanding of events and the MDC’s organizational structure. We would like to take this opportunity to clarify the distinction between the MDC itself, which has a closed membership, and the Legal Observer programs we run, which are open to the public.

The MDC is providing legal support on an ongiong basis for Occupy Toronto.

If you've been ARRESTED at Occupy Toronto or have witnessed an ARREST, please call 416-833-6137 or TTY: 416-619-0422.

If you receive a TICKET during Occupy Toronto, folow the instructions on the back of the tickets and choose the TRIAL OPTION. Feel free to send us an e-mail using the Contact Us page to report your ticket. If there is sufficient interest we will conduct a workshop on how to fight your ticket.

Stay tuned for for updates on continuing Legal Support.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1014920--a-tale-...

Adrienne Telford and Jeff Carolin

As we mark the one-year anniversary of the G20’s visit to downtown Toronto, the events that unfolded in Vancouver last week cry out for comparison.

Take, for example, the differences between the police planning and response.

In Vancouver, the police planned for a public gathering of 100,000 people by deploying 300 officers. When acts of property damage and looting broke out, the officers made 101 arrests, and then everyone went home.

In Toronto, 19,000 officers were deployed for protest marches that attracted upwards of 30,000 people. The police made no arrests at the time property was being damaged, and then spent the next 24 hours patrolling the downtown in heavily armed groups, continuing the pattern they established earlier that week of on-the-spot interrogations and Constitution-violating searches.

One year ago, Toronto became a police state to protect the leaders of
the G20. One year ago, thousands gathered in the streets to protest
the G20's austerity agenda, and to demand social, racial, gender and
environmental justice.

One year ago, Toronto police spent $125 million on G20 policing out of
a total 'security' budget of one billion dollars. 19,000 officers were
deployed for protest marches that attracted upwards of 30,000 people.
The police spent the weekend patrolling downtown in heavily-armed
groups, using property destruction as a pretext for a continuing
pattern of on-the-spot interrogations and illegal searches.