The Anarchist Black Cross of Peterborough

The following was written for local print media in Peterborough but could not be printed.

Let the black flag fly
Let the conquerors crawl
Let them lecture on justice
With their backs to the wall
…
Let every victim remember
All the vengeance we owe
Teach our masters regret should they ever forget
Power comes from below
- From the Depths

While sitting in anticipation of the final outcome of George Horton’s sentencing hearing, the veil of social peace was lifted and we were exposed, once again, to the truly violent essence of the police and the state.

The full attention of the Court was drawn to the far side of the room where Det. Sgt. Gary Giroux, operational case manager of the G-20 investigative project team, attacked one of Horton’s many supporters. Giroux, dressed in civilian clothes, dragged the supporter out of his seat by his neck and smashed him into the wall.

The supporter was forced with his arm twisted behind his back, yelling “Not resisting arrest!” repeatedly as his face was scraped across the wall. Actual Court-appointed Officers waited to complete the expulsion from the courtroom.

A chorus of disapproval and rage broke out amongst the defiant and numerous supporters in the Court, whom Sun Media later maligned as “smelly anarchists”, only to be silenced by the presiding judge, Justice Brown, and ordered out of the courtroom.

Amid the sound of police sirens echoing throughout the streets of Toronto, and attempts to call out unaccountable police behaviour, Justice Brown extolled the virtues of KKKanadian democracy.

This was the two year anniversary of George Horton’s arrest in Peterborough on charges related to resistance to the G-20 Integrated Security Unit police state.

Horton’s charges stem back to the ‘Get off the Fence’ march of June 26, 2010, the culmination of a week of resistance against the policies of the Group of 20, comprised of finance ministers of the twenty largest economies, who met in Toronto on the weekend of June 25-27, 2010. This meeting was part of a broader, global agenda of economic austerity, green-washing capitalism, and the use of war and imperialism to secure markets for capitalism. The G-20 presides over globalized financial violence.

The ‘Get off the Fence’ march was a breakaway march planned by Southern Ontario Anarchist Resistance as a direct challenge to the security perimeter erected to protect the G-20, and the 18,000+ law enforcement personnel mobilized to deter dissent.

Unlike the security perimeter during the Organization of American States meeting of June 2000 in Windsor, ON where riot police were positioned immediately behind a security perimeter, in Toronto the riot police held lines outside the security perimeter bringing them into immediate offensive conflict with anyone who set the fence as an objective of struggle that day.

Any attempts by demonstrators, including migrant-rights organization No One Is Illegal, to turn south towards the fence on Spadina Ave. were met with bone-shattering, skull-splitting police violence.

Earlier that morning, protesters woke up to find that some key organizers of the Toronto Community Mobilization Network, the group who had organized the framework for events to occur within, had disappeared.

After a spontaneous consensus, militants lit a flare and held it high, then surged back running East on Queen St. Beginning with the demolition of Scout Car 766 and another marked police vehicle, a black-clad, destructive wave swept Queen St. and up Yonge St. Police vehicles on Bay St. were also put to the torch amid a celebratory atmosphere.

The police confirmed that Horton was identified by a former co-worker three months after the G-20 demonstrations. George had aided this co-worker numerous times with work place issues. Rather than choosing to act in solidarity, as Horton had in the workplace, this co-worker chose to go out of his way to snitch and support the arbitrary violence of the state, the violence of capitalism, the heteropatriarchal violence of police as well as the violence of the G-20.

The Court heard from Justice Brown on Friday that Mr. Horton made “a notable contribution to the path of destruction”. However, Justice Brown failed to account for the indiscriminate, arbitrary and often sexualized police violence, all of which has been well documented in numerous provincial and federal investigative reports about the G-20 repressive apparatus.

After a lengthy process spanning two years, George was sentenced to ten months for Assault Police, ten months for Intimidation of “Peace” Officer, two months for being Masked with Intent and two months for three counts of Mischief over $5000, to be served concurrently. This means that George is expected to serve ten months total, with eight days already served. However, it’s possible that he may be released upon serving two thirds of the ten month sentence.

George will also serve two years of probation. There were no conditions prohibiting protest as proposed by the Crown Attorney.

The Anarchist Black Cross of Peterborough will be organizing material and logistical support for Horton while he serves time. We are urgently seeking financial support from the community.

Donations to support George Horton and ABC can be made directly at The Peterborough Community Credit Union (167 Brock St. – Mon – Thurs: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Fri: 9:30 AM to 7:00 PM) to the account “Peterborough ABC”, or via Paypal at: abc.ptbo(at)resist(dot)ca. Please note that Paypal will deduct a transaction fee for your donation.

Re-posted from ‘Openfile’:

http://www.openfile.ca/toronto/story/g20-protester-sentenced-10-months-attacking-police-cruiser

Reported by Saira Peesker
Reported on September 28, 2012

G20 defendant George Horton was sentenced to 10 months in jail on September 28 for assaulting and intimidating a police officer during the riots that broke on that June 2010 weekend.

Reading her verdict at Old City Hall courthouse just after noon, Ontario Court Justice Beverly Brown chided the 24-year-old Peterborough photographer for setting off on a “path of destruction” that saw him hit a CBC van and another police car with a wooden stake, throw “an object” at a Tim Hortons, and his most serious offence: kicking a cruiser that had an officer inside—twice.

On Saturday, June 26 of that weekend, Toronto Police Staff Sgt. Graham Queen had been inside his car near Queen Street and Spadina Avenue when it was surrounded by angry protesters, including Horton. Queen had already been struck in the back of the head by a wooden post wielded by a protester, although Horton has never been accused of that assault.

In previous statements, Horton has said he became upset after seeing police violently clash with protesters earlier that day. He has since apologized for his actions.

To much snickering from a courtroom packed with Horton’s friends and supporters—young people in leather jackets, hooded sweatshirts and various incarnations of bedhead—the judge reminded the defendant that violence is an ineffective way to deal with displeasure.

“People must understand that they can not express their frustrations the way George Horton did,” said Brown. “This court will send a message that this will be condoned in Canada.”

As she read the sentence, Brown was often overshadowed by mumbles, coughs and other displays of displeasure from the gallery. Horton’s supporters made no secret of their disdain for and distrust in police, who—along with some protesters—have been accused of impropriety and unwarranted attacks during the summit weekend.

At one point, a man sitting near Staff Sgt. Queen and Det. Sgt. Gary Giroux became suddenly agitated, standing up and yelling “Go fuck yourself!” before he appeared to be shoved into a wall by one of the officers. As he was being escorted out of the courtroom, several other audience members followed suit, yelling insults at the police and judge, briefly turning the proceedings into an angry critique of the court system.

“Your eyes are closed, your ears are closed, your heart is closed,” yelled Zach Ruiter, the filmmaker behind the short documentary George Horton: Life as a G20 defendant, which had previously been shown in court as evidence against Horton. Then, inexplicably, “Your career is over!”

By the end of the fracas, about a dozen people had been expelled from the courtroom. For some time afterward, chanting and singing could be heard wafting in from the hallways. A few times, someone banged on the room’s doors from the outside.

After initially pleading innocent, Horton was found guilty of assaulting a peace officer and intimidation of a justice system participant. He pleaded guilty to wearing a disguise and three counts of mischief.

In addition to the jail time, Horton will also face two years of probation and mandatory anger management counselling. Unlike many people convicted for protest-related activities, he will be allowed to attend demonstrations once he is out of jail, but was ordered not to wear a mask.

Brown emphasized that although Horton was part of a group, he was being punished only for his own actions. If that is the case, Horton’s girlfriend Jen Brethour doesn’t see how the conviction for assaulting a police officer is even possible, seeing as Horton only came in contact with the car, not Queen.

“The assault charge is really kind of crazy,” she said, moments after her partner has been escorted away in handcuffs. “Property damage is not violence… George is by no means a threat to anyone. I wholeheartedly believe he didn’t see the officer.”

Brethour said Horton plans to appeal.

For his part, Queen said he thought the judge was considerate and fair in her sentencing.

“I thought the judge was learned and thorough,” he told OpenFile. “I accept the sentence.”

Described by friends outside the courtroom as gentle and “a good guy,” the defendant seemed a bit bewildered that jail time was even being considered.

“I kicked a cop car in anger and (the Crown wanted) to give me a sentence of 18 months plus three years probation,” Horton said during a break in proceedings, before the verdict was announced. “I was naïve.”

Defence lawyer Ryan Clements, who had asked for a sentence of eight months, depicted the G20 Saturday protests as a kind rarely seen, and suggested that Horton’s lack of previous criminal record should factor into a lenient sentence.

“Mr. Horton’s conduct can only be considered acting out of character in exceptional circumstances,” Clements told the court, prior to the sentence being handed down.

Once the sentence was read, the courtroom erupted in cheers of “we love you, George” as the new convict was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs. Just before he was out the door, he managed to say some final words to his friends.

“Make sure you tell the media I’m cool,” he yelled.

—————

The above appears to be the most comprehensive coverage of Horton’s sentencing.

Thanks to Zigzag for spreading it:

http://militantz.wordpress.com/2012/09/28/g20-protester-sentenced-10-months-for-attacking-police-cruiser/