The Tower

Pride Defender Going to Trial - Drop the Charges!

It has been nearly two years since Hamilton Pride was attacked by white supremacists, homophobes and fundamentalist Christians. Nearly two years have also passed since a group of determined people stood their ground and drove the attackers out of the park. In the aftermath of that bloody event, the Hamilton Police showed their true colours by dedicating their efforts to tracking down and identifying Pride Defenders, while letting all but one of the attackers off the hook (despite having clear video evidence at their disposal). Of the six Pride Defenders initially charged, three of those people are still facing charges today.

Two of those three people have recently accepted a peace bond that will see their charges effectively withdrawn. The peace bonds will come with one year of probationary conditions, which is essentially the same punishment doled out to Chris Vandeweide who was caught on film committing multiple brutal assaults both at Pride, and again the following weekend in Toronto.

The last of the Pride Defenders facing charges is Barry, a respected Hamilton union organizer who attended Pride as an ally and is alleged to have stood up for his friends when he saw them being attacked. Barry is being charged with "assaulting" an extremist preacher named Phillip Ness-Thomas who is is part of a group called the ServantHOODS that preaches homophobia and misogyny at public gatherings, specifically targeting Pride events in recent years. Ness-Thomas showed up to the park that day with a group carrying 10-foot scripture signs decrying the sins of homosexuality, accompanied by goons like Chris Vandeweide who wore body armour. Needless to say, Ness-Thomas showed up at Pride as an agitator and aggressor.

Perhaps one of the most frustrating realities of Barry's charges is found in the pages of the Hamilton City Council's own $600,000 independent inquiry into the events at Pride, published in 2020. The report concluded – with no uncertainty – that the entirety of the violence was the fault of right wing agitators, that pride defenders were a diverse group of people who stood up for themselves and their community, and that the Hamilton Police bungled nearly every aspect of this incident. The report – written by a respected lawyer over the course of many months – interviewed 42 community members and 24 cops, concluding: “Standing up to and countering hateful groups by attempting to drown out their message is not unlawful. In fact, many Pride attendees should be commended for standing up for a more inclusive, diverse and caring community. To the extent that those Hamiltonians feel that the HPS conveyed a message that Pride attendees or Pride Defenders are partly to blame for the violence and hate that day, this is incorrect.”

Barry did nothing wrong that day in the park. He showed up to stand with the q***r community in Hamilton against violence from a group of delusional people who deliberately came there from across the country to scream at q***r families and engage in physical confrontation. The possibility that these charges could ever see the inside of a court room is enraging.

The Pride Defenders Solidarity Committee is calling for Barry's charges to be dropped, and are asking the Hamilton community and LGBTQ2S+ people from around the world to show their support for this cause in whatever ways you can. We only have a short time until his trial and we want to deliver a loud and clear message to the Crown Attorney. Please keep an eye on our social media pages for updates, help share our posts widely, and start brainstorming ways to show your support. Though Hamilton Pride 2019 was a long time ago, this isn't over until every Pride Defender walks free.

"There are currently at least sixty people still facing serious criminal charges from the raids on Wet’suwet’en territory and the solidarity movement.

All successful movements face repression and have prisoners. More than avoiding repression, what matters is how we deal with it. We need to always be finding ways to show those targeted they are not alone — this makes it easier for them to get through it with strength and integrity."

(linked via twitter because north-shore remains blocked by facebook)

https://mobile.twitter.com/nscounterinfo/status/1348674443967606788

"We demand transparency from Barton Jail about the outbreak, and for all prisoners being held on remand to be immediately released so they are not forced to be exposed to the virus. We also demand the reinstitution of visits -- cancelling visits does nothing to protect prisoners since they are held through glass and only adds to their isolation."

As of November 28th, we've received reports from multiple sources that the administration is trying to cover up at least 2 new cases of COVID-19 among staff at the Barton Jail. Management is outright denying to both prisoners and staff that there are new positive cases, while at the same time introducing new policies in response to the outbreak.

The changes include a new policy that prisoners are now required to wear a mask whenever leaving their range. Most infuriatingly, they have once again lost access to all visits, which were won back through a hard-fought struggle this summer. This is especially upsetting as we approach the holidays, when it can be extra hard to be apart from loved ones. In "compensation", management has raised the canteen limit from $60 to $90,which they did as well in the spring when a staff person tested positive. This disregards the fact that the only free way for prisoners to have money added to their canteen fund is when it is dropped off through in-person visits. Prisoners are left without any accurate information and are scared about the spread of the virus through the prison.

We have also heard that the guards disagree with the admin's choice to deny the outbreak. However, in any conflict between guards and management over safety, the prisoners will pay the price. Past disputes have caused long lockdowns and sharply worse conditions for prisoners. Unless the guards change their position and push for mass release of incarcerated people, we can't rely on their actions to improve things.

We demand transparency from Barton Jail about the outbreak, and for all prisoners being held on remand to be immediately released so they are not forced to be exposed to the virus. We also demand the reinstitution of visits -- cancelling visits does nothing to protect prisoners since they are held through glass and only adds to their isolation.

Details about a solidarity rally coming soon, check back in the coming days.

Prisoners are taking a serious risk by speaking out and breaking the admin's wall of silence. By amplifying their voices we can help keep them safe while also forcing meaningful action.