Over 900 were arrested in Toronto during the G20 mobilization, via police kidnapping, political profiling, house raids and street level police snatch squads. Police violence, brutality and intimidation were the order of the day via the Toronto police in their systematic repression against anti G20 street protests. This is the largest number of arrests in Canadian history. After being arbitrarily detained for hours to days, several hundred protesters are returning home. This is a message of support and solidarity with those coming back home to Montreal.
Legal support - Testimonies and documentation - Mental Health & Trauma Support
( ( ( 1 ) ) ) Legal support
If you are facing charges and need legal support or need a lawyer, please contact le CLAC 2010 legal committee at:
(514) 398 - 3323
claclegal2010@gmail.com
And view useful documents on this page.
We have put together a list of ally lawyers who are willing to represent people facing charges, provide legal advice, follow up on cases in Toronto, coordinate possible complaints and possible class actions...etc
( ( ( 2 ) ) ) Testimonies and documentation
It can be scary and difficult to go through your experiences again for documentation, but it is important if you are facing charges, or want to lodge complaints or law-suits, to document your experiences as clearly as possible. If doing so, be prepared with emotional support close-at-hand.
We encourage everyone to document their experience during the summit in detail (e.g. time of arrest and release, exact street names and locations, cop names and badge numbers, other people who were accompanying you...etc). If you have been harrassed, searched, followed, beaten, arrested or detained in Toronto, it is important to write down everything you've experienced, and to collect whatever video or audio footage, photos or testimonies you may have.
For those of you facing charges, it would be important to write down your recollection of the events as soon as possible, while your memory is still fresh. You should also avoid discussing the details of your experience with people who may act as witnesses in your trial.
When you write down your recollection of events, don't forget to date it, and indicate at the top of the page : "For my lawyer only". Any photo/audio/video evidence should be similarly stored, dated and noted as privileged.
We also encourage people who have experienced the totalitarian repression that took place in Toronto during the G20 summit (arrests and detention without charge, abusive searches, no access to legal council, inhuman detention conditions, intimidation, harassment, disproportionate use of force, kidnapping, break and entry without a warrant into people's homes...) and who are interested in filing complaints or launching a law suit to contact the CLAC 2010 legal committee.
Contact:
(514) 398 - 3323
claclegal2010@gmail.com
( ( ( 3 ) ) ) CLAC 2010 Mental Health & Trauma Support Committee
Following a week of widespread police repression, many of us are already feeling the effects of trauma and may be triggered and freaked out as well. As people are being released from jail and are returning to their communities, it is incredibly important to keep our support and mutual aid going strong. The CLAC 2010 Comité soutien psycho-social has come together to coordinate trauma and mental health support efforts in the Montreal region.
***SELF-ORGANIZED PEER SUPPORT***
After experiences of individual and collective trauma, it can be a very healing experience to come together with others to share your stories, and to support one another. We strongly encourage people to organize your own peer support groups, be it an informal picnic in the park, a cup of tea with your close friends, or a formal group debrief
and discussion with fellow activists. If you are interested in organizing a group support session and are looking for resources or for assistance, get in touch (support.psycho.social@gmail.com). We have volunteers with skills in running group therapy who are ready to make their services available.
***INDIVIDUAL PEER SUPPORT & THERAPY SERVICES***
In addition, we have compiled a list of volunteers who are available for individual therapy, peer support & active listening over the coming weeks. If you would like to talk with somebody in person, by email or over the phone, please contact us with your request (support.psycho.social@gmail.com). Recognizing that many of those who were targetted by police over the weekend were women, trans and queer people, people with disabilities, and people of colour, we have a diverse group of peers available to provide support around specific experiences of trauma and violence, all coming from an anti-oppression background. Please let us know what kind of support you are looking for, and we will do our best to respond to your needs. As well, if you would like to offer your support/services (including active listening, therapy, massage, etc), please get in touch, at support.psycho.social@gmail.com.
***LOCAL & ONLINE RESOURCES***
Below is a compilation of several local resources that are available for ongoing, free and confidential support in the coming weeks and months. Please let us know if you have other resources we can add to this list. As well, we encourage you to visit the following online resources for additional tools and readings on (supporting people who are) dealing with activist trauma:
www.activist-trauma.net/ (french and english)
www.pscap.org/healingtrauma/ (english only)
Let’s continue to have each others backs! Self-care and mutual aid are radical!
LOVE, SUPPORT & RAGE
The CLAC 2010 Mental Health & Trauma Support Committee
support.psycho.social@gmail.com
***LOCAL ACTIVE LISTENING RESOURCES***
Head and Hands Counseling Services: Appointments (Bilingual services)
Phone: 514-481-0277
Website: http://www.headandhands.ca/social.php
Project 10 Listening Line: Hotline available (Bilingual services)
Hotline: 514 989 4585 (Monday-Thursday 12-6pm)
Website: http://www.algi.qc.ca/asso/p10/
Peer Support program at the 2110 Centre for Gender Advocacy: Drop-in
available, appointment preferred (Bilingual services)
Phone: 514 848 2424, x. 7880. Email: psa@centre2110.org
Réseau québécois des centre d’aide et de lutte contres les agressions à caractère sexuelle (support centre for survivors of sexual assault).
To find a CALAC near you: http://www.rqcalacs.qc.ca/ (Bilingual services)
Montréal: www.calacsdelouest.ca
Telephone: 514-620-4333
CAVAC Crime Victims Assistance Centre (for all forms of violence,
including sexual assault) (Bilingual services)
www.cavac.qc.ca
1-866-LE CAVAC (1-866-532-2822)
Sexual Assault Centre of McGill's Students Society
Hotline, Walk-in Services also available (English only)
Hotline: 514-398-8500
Website: www.sacomss.org