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News & Notes

Information for Parents at Protests

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Bringing your child to an event/action can be a positive experience for both you and your child, as a first example (or a reminder) of the value of and possibilities for collective action. There are, however, particular concerns about bringing your child to an event/action. It may be that police will target parents with children, especially at high-risk actions. Although this is VERY UNLIKELY, you might want to be prepared. RESEARCH THE EVENT/ ACTION AHEAD OF TIME The decision to bring your child may depend on the nature of the event. Ask organizers for a… Read More »Information for Parents at Protests

Know Your Rights: A guide for activists

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Know Your Rights. Updates for the April 2021 Stay-at-Home Order If you are in Ontario during the COVID-19 Lockdown, please check: Legal F.A.Q.on COVID Police Powers COVID Update:KYR & Police Powers Original content follows: This guide is intended to provide you with an overview of your rights when dealing with the police. Knowing your basic rights and the common charges that are leveled against protesters can help you in your interactions with the police. However, our rights in theory are very different from our rights in practice. It is important to recognize that the police… Read More »Know Your Rights: A guide for activists

US/Canada Legal Primer

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The following is for informational purposes only. This is NOT legal advice. Brought to you by the MDC via the late great NYC People’s Law Collective and Common Front Legal Committee Basics US: The People v. Scott = Canada: R. v. Scott (R. = Regina, a.k.a the Queen) District Attorney = Crown Attorney (commonly referred to as ‘the Crown’) Criminal law is federal and uniform across Canada (set out in the Criminal Code mainly, also the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the Youth Criminal Justice Act), although courts are administered by the provinces and… Read More »US/Canada Legal Primer

Information Security at Protests: A Refresher

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The Basics Nothing is a hundred percent foolproof, but you can at least make it more trouble to access your info, than the information is worth. Phones and other devices are key tools for Legal Observers at actions, so here are some tips to do just that. Turn off Siri or Google Assistant. Make sure your phone does not use biometrics to unlock it. Use a password and not your fingerprints or face recognition. Turn on one button lock down, or make sure you have a really short time out that locks your phone. Turn… Read More »Information Security at Protests: A Refresher

Protest resource for QTBIPOC in Toronto (Community Justice Collective)

Protest resource for QTBIPOC in Toronto For Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (QTBIPOC) and their allies. Designed by Pardis Pahlavanlu, and compiled by Gitanjali Lena and Vincent Wong, this resource is primarily for Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (QTBIPOC) and their allies who are considering participating in or organizing political actions. This project was also motivated by a dissatisfaction with the strictly “neutral” role of traditional legal observing, which is often impossible for BIPOC and queer lawyers who are commonly called to play more varied roles at all stages of protest… Read More »Protest resource for QTBIPOC in Toronto (Community Justice Collective)

COVID Update: Know Your Rights & Police Powers

Updated April 18, 2021 Political Context: On April 17, 2021, facing the highest COVID-19 case counts and a slow roll out of vaccines especially in the hardest hit neighbourhoods, the Premier of Ontario and Ontario conservatives expanded police powers, choosing to address a public health crisis through individualized enforcement. These expanded police powers accompany an April Stay at Home order. We know that not everyone can stay at home and that many people remain at risk for the virus because our public health approach has not prioritized essential workers for the vaccine and does not… Read More »COVID Update: Know Your Rights & Police Powers

Legal F.A.Q. on COVID Police Powers

Updated April 18, 2021 Political Context: On April 17, 2021, facing the highest COVID-19 case counts and a slow roll out of vaccines especially in the hardest hit neighbourhoods, the Premier of Ontario and Ontario conservatives expanded police powers, choosing to address a public health crisis through individualized enforcement. These expanded police powers accompany an April Stay at Home order. We know that not everyone can stay at home and that many people remain at risk for the virus because our public health approach has not prioritized essential workers for the vaccine and does not… Read More »Legal F.A.Q. on COVID Police Powers

March 23, 2021: Legal Observer Coordinator Training

Become a Legal Observer Coordinator Prerequisite: You must have taken our Legal Observer training. Legal Observer Coordinators are responsible for connecting with the action organizers and overseeing the placement and and communications of the Legal Observer team. In addition to this online session, we ask potential coordinators to have participated in at least two actions, and to  “shadow” a Coordinator at one action so that you can get a feel for what we do onsite during an action. You must have taken our Legal Observer training in the past and have observed at at least… Read More »March 23, 2021: Legal Observer Coordinator Training

Photo by: Chrissy Chrzan

Class Actions, Mass Movements: Policing, Politics, and the Toronto G20 Settlement Agreement

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Repost from Upping the Anti Class Actions, Mass Movements: Policing, Politics, and the Toronto G20 Settlement Agreement Irina Ceric, founding MDC member, on the connections between state response to organizing against the G20 and the Vancouver Olympics in February 2010 Read the full article A decade after the Toronto G20 summit, two mass class actions brought against the Toronto Police Service (TPS) by people caught up in kettles and/or imprisoned at a temporary detention center have been settled. After a detour to the Supreme Court of Canada – the TPS unsuccessfully attempted to have the… Read More »Class Actions, Mass Movements: Policing, Politics, and the Toronto G20 Settlement Agreement

Bonus: American Chemical Society explains pepper spray.

This week on Reactions, we’re taking a look at what’s in these little canisters and why it inflicts so much pain. And for those times when you accidentally spray yourself, we’ll also give you some tips on what to do. Reactions is a video series produced by the American Chemical Society and PBS Digital Studios. Subscribe to Reactions at http://bit.ly/ACSReactions, and follow us on Twitter @ACSreactions. The American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information… Read More »Bonus: American Chemical Society explains pepper spray.

What to do if you’re exposed to pepper spray (Advice from Popular Science Magazine)

Like the post on tear gas, you’re going to want to read the full article to get the full explanation and details, but here are some key details. From the Popular Science article: …This compound is much harder to clean off than tear gas, making its effects more aggressive and long-lasting. And because hotter sprays make better products, their formulations are proprietary—manufacturers don’t want you to know what’s in them. But what we do know about pepper spray can help you understand what to do if you’re exposed and what you and your fellow protesters… Read More »What to do if you’re exposed to pepper spray (Advice from Popular Science Magazine)

What to do if you’re exposed to tear gas (Advice from Popular Science Magazine)

You’re going to want to read the full article to get the full explanation and details, but here are some key details. From the Popular Science article: Contrary to its name, CS gas—the technical name for tear gas—is actually a crystalline powder that is converted into a fine spray and propelled from a grenade or canister by a small pyrotechnic explosion. This chemical was first developed in 1928 by American scientists, and after years of studies, it eventually became a weapon widely used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. Nowadays, tear gas is… Read More »What to do if you’re exposed to tear gas (Advice from Popular Science Magazine)