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Toronto HackLab member arrested by G20 security forces

37 points by faramarz 16y ago

faramarz 16y ago
Another article: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/Wife+suspect+arrested+after+searches/3198723/story.html http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/Wife+suspect+arreste... Interestingly, Byron maintained a special blog that up until august, exposed security measures in and around the G20 zone and they're nailing him down because of it. http://torontogoat.blogspot.com/ http://torontogoat.blogspot.com/ Also note officials quietly passed a legislature on Monday that essentially gives the Police an absolute authority for the duration of the G20 in the Downtown core.
- ergo98 16y ago
  That "absolute authority" being that they can demand your identification. Not too scary.
jessor 16y ago
Watch your karma if you're active on full disclosure: http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2010/Jun/391 http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2010/Jun/391 He wrote this a few days before the bust.
thefool 16y ago
Its funny in an ironic way. Hopefully he'll be fine though. The criminal "justice" system doesn't take kindly to pranksters like this.
aarongough 16y ago
I live in Toronto, and I have to say that it's pretty scary the way that everyone's civil liberties have gotten suspended the second some big mucky-mucks roll into town. The number of police officers standing around downtown has to be seen to be believed, and this is not the first arrest in the last few days on seemingly trumped up charges. My best wishes to Byron and his wife, hopefully this blows over without long-lasting consequences...
- steveklabnik 16y ago
  Yeah, man. When they rolled into Pittsburgh, it was really crazy. I had half of a nervous breakdown. The G20 coming to Pittsburgh did more to radicalize my politics than years of listening to punk music and wearing black clothing. EDIT: I actually posted a description of what it was like on Reddit, check it: http://www.reddit.com/r/Anarchism/comments/b21ws/what_should_we_rename/c0klofm http://www.reddit.com/r/Anarchism/comments/b21ws/what_should... And some photos taken by a friend of mine: http://seancolombo.com/g20/captioned/ http://seancolombo.com/g20/captioned/
  - moxiemk1 16y ago
    For what its worth, the G20 coming to Pittsburgh and exploding like it did more to moderate my politics than anything I've ever seen. The police's actions were what police do when they're scared and charged with doing the impossible. It doesn't excuse them, but it certainly doesn't provide a case against any standing governments. The 'anarchists' actions were presented by them to be 'the right thing to do.' If deliberately getting the police to hurt people is a good thing, then I want no part in it.
    - steveklabnik 16y ago
      This isn't really the place to discuss politics, but feel free to email me if you'd like to talk about this further. :) All I'll say is that seeing my city under siege by a military force (because that's how the cops were dressed and acting) had a profound effect on my worldview. I certainly felt more empathy with the Iraqis after that day.
  - aarongough 16y ago
    Personally I just think it's sad that these people are considered so important that they're allowed to inconvenience thousands of other people solely for their own safety/comfort. I think that if you're going to organize something like the G20 it should be held in a remote location. Easier to secure, less disruption for everyone else...
raganwald 16y ago
Some years ago a major Canadian Union Head was denied entry to the US. The reason? He had a criminal record. The crime in question stemmed from a protest a number of years previous, and he needed to get all sorts of legal wheels turning to get written permission to enter the USA. In theory, this is understandable, a crime committed at a protest could well include something like assaulting police or destroying property. But I'm disturbed by the direction these laws are going and I really don't like the idea of taking photographs or other such actions branding someone as a "criminal."
- marcusbooster 16y ago
  It goes both ways. The Canadian border patrol routinely denies US citizens entry for having a criminal record, even for misdemeanors. It's all up to the officer's "discretion", whatever that means at a given time.
  - joe_the_user 16y ago
    I'm not sure that's "going both ways". It's more the US and Canada going in the same problematic way.
    - marcusbooster 16y ago
      I wasn't writing metaphorically.
- pcc 16y ago
  A colleague (from South Africa) once was denied entry to the USA, for having outstanding parking tickets in SA...
plk 16y ago
Why is it relevant that this person is a member of the Toronto HackLab? Even members of HackLabs can do stupid or even illegal things. I just don't see the relevance here.
- joe_the_user 16y ago
  Ah, maybe I'm inveterate idealist but it seems like a board called "Hacker News" should inherently have interest in the actions and well-being of fellow "hackers". It's the human thing.
- aarongough 16y ago
  I was going to write a comment, then didn't because of the possible effects it could have on me if someone in law enforcement read it. The fact that I felt uncomfortable expressing myself about a subject that is perfectly legal is the reason why we should be scared that this happened, and why we should be thankful to Byron for taking the heat to point out to us how the system is broken...
- faramarz 16y ago
  Because hacklab.to broke the story I believe. 2 + 2 http://hacklab.to/archives/g20-arrest/ http://hacklab.to/archives/g20-arrest/

37 points by faramarz 16y ago

Another article: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/Wife+suspect+arrested+after+searches/3198723/story.html http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/Wife+suspect+arreste... Interestingly, Byron maintained a special blog that up until august, exposed security measures in and around the G20 zone and they're nailing him down because of it. http://torontogoat.blogspot.com/ http://torontogoat.blogspot.com/ Also note officials quietly passed a legislature on Monday that essentially gives the Police an absolute authority for the duration of the G20 in the Downtown core.

ergo98 16y ago
That "absolute authority" being that they can demand your identification. Not too scary.

jessor 16y ago

Watch your karma if you're active on full disclosure: http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2010/Jun/391 http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2010/Jun/391 He wrote this a few days before the bust.

thefool 16y ago

Its funny in an ironic way. Hopefully he'll be fine though. The criminal "justice" system doesn't take kindly to pranksters like this.

aarongough 16y ago

I live in Toronto, and I have to say that it's pretty scary the way that everyone's civil liberties have gotten suspended the second some big mucky-mucks roll into town. The number of police officers standing around downtown has to be seen to be believed, and this is not the first arrest in the last few days on seemingly trumped up charges. My best wishes to Byron and his wife, hopefully this blows over without long-lasting consequences...

steveklabnik 16y ago
Yeah, man. When they rolled into Pittsburgh, it was really crazy. I had half of a nervous breakdown. The G20 coming to Pittsburgh did more to radicalize my politics than years of listening to punk music and wearing black clothing. EDIT: I actually posted a description of what it was like on Reddit, check it: http://www.reddit.com/r/Anarchism/comments/b21ws/what_should_we_rename/c0klofm http://www.reddit.com/r/Anarchism/comments/b21ws/what_should... And some photos taken by a friend of mine: http://seancolombo.com/g20/captioned/ http://seancolombo.com/g20/captioned/
- moxiemk1 16y ago
  For what its worth, the G20 coming to Pittsburgh and exploding like it did more to moderate my politics than anything I've ever seen. The police's actions were what police do when they're scared and charged with doing the impossible. It doesn't excuse them, but it certainly doesn't provide a case against any standing governments. The 'anarchists' actions were presented by them to be 'the right thing to do.' If deliberately getting the police to hurt people is a good thing, then I want no part in it.
  - steveklabnik 16y ago
    This isn't really the place to discuss politics, but feel free to email me if you'd like to talk about this further. :) All I'll say is that seeing my city under siege by a military force (because that's how the cops were dressed and acting) had a profound effect on my worldview. I certainly felt more empathy with the Iraqis after that day.
- aarongough 16y ago
  Personally I just think it's sad that these people are considered so important that they're allowed to inconvenience thousands of other people solely for their own safety/comfort. I think that if you're going to organize something like the G20 it should be held in a remote location. Easier to secure, less disruption for everyone else...

raganwald 16y ago

Some years ago a major Canadian Union Head was denied entry to the US. The reason? He had a criminal record. The crime in question stemmed from a protest a number of years previous, and he needed to get all sorts of legal wheels turning to get written permission to enter the USA. In theory, this is understandable, a crime committed at a protest could well include something like assaulting police or destroying property. But I'm disturbed by the direction these laws are going and I really don't like the idea of taking photographs or other such actions branding someone as a "criminal."

marcusbooster 16y ago
It goes both ways. The Canadian border patrol routinely denies US citizens entry for having a criminal record, even for misdemeanors. It's all up to the officer's "discretion", whatever that means at a given time.
- joe_the_user 16y ago
  I'm not sure that's "going both ways". It's more the US and Canada going in the same problematic way.
  - marcusbooster 16y ago
    I wasn't writing metaphorically.
pcc 16y ago
A colleague (from South Africa) once was denied entry to the USA, for having outstanding parking tickets in SA...

plk 16y ago

Why is it relevant that this person is a member of the Toronto HackLab? Even members of HackLabs can do stupid or even illegal things. I just don't see the relevance here.

joe_the_user 16y ago
Ah, maybe I'm inveterate idealist but it seems like a board called "Hacker News" should inherently have interest in the actions and well-being of fellow "hackers". It's the human thing.
aarongough 16y ago
I was going to write a comment, then didn't because of the possible effects it could have on me if someone in law enforcement read it. The fact that I felt uncomfortable expressing myself about a subject that is perfectly legal is the reason why we should be scared that this happened, and why we should be thankful to Byron for taking the heat to point out to us how the system is broken...
faramarz 16y ago
Because hacklab.to broke the story I believe. 2 + 2 http://hacklab.to/archives/g20-arrest/ http://hacklab.to/archives/g20-arrest/