Solidarity Message from Minneapolis: RNC 8 Defense Committee
G8/G20, They Few, We Many: Solidarity with the Toronto Arrestees
June 2010 brought thousands upon thousands of dedicated activists to the streets of Toronto to protest and confront the G8/G20, as “world leaders” conspired to further destroy our communities and the world around us for the sake of power and profit. Residents of Toronto and activists from all over Canada and the world were met by an army of police officers with a budget of $1 billion to fund their campaign of repressive violence, fear and intimidation. This campaign was designed to sweep the streets of anyone daring to speak out against the destructive policies perpetuated by the G8/G20 and to scare people away from organizing resistance to these policies.
Not content with attacking people in the streets and arresting nearly 1100 protesters, the Canadian government also attacked the very ideas of community and organizing by arresting 17 prominent community organizers from around Canada and charging them with conspiracy. Those who have been released from jail face harsh bail conditions that prevent them from associating with people in their communities and from exercising their rights to organize and voice their dissent. This attempt at breaking solidarity amongst and with the accused must not and will not be successful.
Around two years earlier and 1300 kilometers to the west, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota experienced similar repression and attacks by the state during the 2008 Republican National Convention. Prior to the convention, police preemptively arrested eight anarchist organizers, now known as the RNC 8, through a series of raids and targeted grabs. During the convention, the police attacked thousands of protesters who had taken to the streets, ultimately arresting 818 people.
In July 2010, the RNC 8 and their supporters are still gearing up for trial, still fighting back against the state’s attempts to disrupt our organizing and resistance. The state initially charged the RNC 8 with conspiracy “in the furtherance of terrorism,” but our resistance exposed the political motivations behind these charges and forced the prosecutor to drop them. Our organizing will continue to support the RNC 8 as they endure a trial that could last up to two months. Our solidarity will continue to defend not only these eight defendants, but the rights of all of us to associate with each other, organize with each other, and resist the policies that aim to destroy our communities and our world.
The parallels between our experiences over the last two years and those of people fighting back in Toronto are clear. We are all part of the same struggle for a better world. We are all affected by state repression. And we all face the same enemies regardless of which side of which artificial border we find ourselves on.
We stand in solidarity with everyone struggling against state repression in Toronto. We denounce the Canadian government and all its agents for their violence in the service of the rich and powerful.
And as local organizers are left to deal with any summit’s aftermath, it is important to remember that we are still many, and the state still consists of but a few self-proclaimed leaders. By leveraging our collective power, all of us can take direct control of our lives and defend all those facing government attack.
With love and solidarity,
The RNC 8 Defense Committee
http://rnc8.org
info(A)rnc8.org
For more information on the aftermath from the G8/G20, visit the Toronto Community Mobilization Network: g20.torontomobilize.org
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The G8/G20 meetings took place in Ontario from June 25-27, 2010. Toronto-based organizations of women, people of colour, indigenous peoples, the poor, the working class, queer and trans people and disabled people organized a peoples convergence with 40,000 people taking to the streets, standing up for justice in collaboration and solidarity!
Activists, community members, inspired and outraged individuals came together as a movement to demand justice for people and the planet. Over a week of mobilizations, events, workshops and direct actions took place in the face of state and police repression, violence and infringements on rights and freedoms.
We must continue to mobilize and build greater solidarity among our communities- an important part of this is supporting all those arrested during the G20 summit, including our allies still in detention, and those released on bail.