MONTREAL, March 31, 2003 -- Next Monday April 7, three Montreal-area organizers will begin a jury trial on charges of "participating in a riot". The charges date back to October 23, 2000, when 1000 people demonstrated against a closed meeting of the Group of 20 (G-20) outside Montreal's Sheraton Hotel. The G-20 is comprised of finance ministers and bank governors from 19 countries, as well as the chiefs of the World Bank and IMF. The Montreal G-20 protest was one of several protests that were part of the anti-FTAA mobilization before Quebec City in April 2001.

Jonathan Aspireault-Masse, Jaggi Singh and Christina Xydous are active local organizers, involved in various social justice groups and organizations. They are facing charges that carry the potential penalty of up to 2 years in prison, and if found guilty, a minimum sentence of at least six months is quite likely in at least one case.

While Jonathan, Jaggi and Christina are charged with participating in a riot, there is no evidence that any of the accused engaged in any violent behavior at the protest. Rather, the crown alleges that they were simply present during what the police have deemed to be a "riot", which is apparently enough to determine guilt. Any of the up to 1000 people present at the protest could have been similarly charged, but Jonathan, Jaggi and Christina have been singled out by the police.

There have been hundreds of Montreal-area residents who have been charged at various political protests in the past five years--mass arrests of hundreds at a time is a typical Montreal police strategy--and there are several ongoing trials related to political protest. However, the G-20 riot trial will mark one of the first times that protest charges will be argued in front of a jury in Montreal. Moreover, the "participating in a riot" charges, at the Quebec Superior Court, represents a clear escalation of the legal intimidation of political protesters.

[Currently, in Toronto, three members of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) are facing similar charges, with one accused facing a further charge of counseling to commit illegal acts (which carries a penalty of up to 5 years in prison).]

The Montreal G-20 riot trial was delayed in coming to trial for more than two years, while the accused pursued further police evidence at Federal Court. They won a partial victory when the police were forced to admit that the Surete de Quebec (SQ) used at least 23 plainclothes crowd infiltrators during the G-20 demonstration (in addition to eight Montreal police undercovers, the riot police, mounted police and RCMP). The identities of the SQ crowd infiltrators remain confidential for reasons of national security, as well as other police intelligence and surveillancs files on certain protesters.

Jonathan and Christina will be represented by lawyer Pascal Lescarbeau, while Jaggi is acting as his own lawyer. The trial will be presided by Quebec Superior Court Judge Boilard, and is expected to last for at least 3 weeks. It will begin, with opening motions and the selection of a bilingual jury, on April 7 at 9:30am in courtroom 5,15 of the Palais de Justice (corner of Notre-Dame and St-Laurent, near metro Champ-de-Mars).

For more information, or to stay in touch, please e-mail montreal-AT-tao.ca.

---> HOW YOU CAN HELP <---

Jonathan, Jaggi and Christina are not facing this trial alone, and rely on your support and solidarity. Here are several ways you can help:

ATTEND THE TRIAL IN SUPPORT ---> It is crucial to have a strong presence at each day of the trial, to show the jury that there is significant community support for the defendants. You are strongly encouraged to attend the trial, which will be at the Palais de Justice (Notre-Dame and St-Laurent, near metro Champ-de-Mars) beginning on April 7 for three weeks. The trial will usually take place between 9:30am until 4:30pm with a break for lunch. The trial will be bilingual. To receive updates about court times, please e-mail montreal-AT-tao.ca.

LOOKING FOR WITNESSES ---> The accused are still seeking people who attended the demonstration on October 23, 2000, and can act as witnesses. While the protest happened more than 2 years ago, and potential witnesses might not remember all details, we still encourage you to get in touch. If you are a potential witness, or can act as a witness, please e-mail montreal-AT-tao.ca.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT ---> Your financial support, to cover legal expenses, is also encouraged. Jonathan is covered by legal aid, but Christina and Jaggi are raising funds indepedently, and there are other legal and personal costs for all three. As well, Jaggi is representing himself, and faces four other trials this year, including another lengthy jury trial (again, on the charge of "participating in a riot") relating to the Quebec City anti-FTAA protests. Please e-mail montreal-AT-tao.ca if you can offer financial support.

YOUR MORAL SUPPORT ---> Even if you can't attend the trial, be a witness or offer financial support, it's important for Jonathan, Jaggi and Christina to know that they have support. Your messages of support can be sent by e-mail to montreal-AT-tao.ca.