G20 protest 'ringleader' re-arrested over 'simple' discussion
Protester Alex Hundert tries to talk his way past the police and into the Chateau Montebello. Day 2 at Chateau Montebello, where the North American leaders (Harper/Bush/Calderon) are meeting.Photograph by: Mike Carroccetto, Ottawa CitizenDoes participating in a panel discussion on a university campus constitute an act of public demonstration?
That's the question activists are asking after the arrest last Friday of Alex Hundert, one of the alleged ringleaders of the G20 Summit protests, following a panel discussion at Ryerson University in Toronto.
Police allege that Hundert's participation in the event — dubbed "Strengthening Our Resolve: Movement Building and Ongoing Resistance to the G20 Agenda" — constituted a breach of one of his bail conditions that he not take part in a public demonstration.
"When you're out on bail, you sign a document that you agree to meet certain conditions. Whatever those conditions are, you're obliged to follow those conditions until your matter is heard in court," said Sgt. Pierre Chamberland, a spokesman for Ontario Provincial Police, which carried out the arrest with the assistance of Toronto police.
John Norris, Hundert's lawyer, said Tuesday his client was speaking publicly about matters of public interest — but not in a manner that could be interpreted as a public demonstration.
Participating in a university panel discussion is "not what the bail was meant to prohibit," Norris said.
"By taking such a broad interpretation of the bail order, the real concern of the police seems to be the content of the expression," as opposed to the manner in which it was expressed, he said. "They really are criminalizing dissent."
Panel participant Judy Rebick, an instructor of politics at Ryerson, said she's organized hundreds of protests in her life, but this was not one of them.
She characterized the event as merely a bunch of "talking heads" representing labour, anti-poverty and sexual-orientation groups discussing lessons learned from the G20. More than 200 people jammed a lecture hall for the event and not a single person raised his or her voice, she said.
"This was a simple discussion among activists about where we go from here. No one can interpret it as a protest," she said.
Rebick said police are clearly just trying to harass Hundert.
They're using the "slimmest excuse" to re-arrest him, she said. "It's very upsetting."
Hundert, 30, was arrested on June 26 — the first day of the G20 summit in Toronto — and charged with conspiring or counselling to commit mischief to property, obstruct police and assault police.
He was released on $100,000 bail after agreeing to several bail conditions, including house arrest, appearing in public only with his sureties, and not organizing or attending any public demonstrations.
Because of the alleged breach of his bail order last week, Hundert must remain in detention until his next bail hearing Oct. 6.
