THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT CRIMINALIZES DISSENT

G20 PROTESTERS REQUIRED TO PAY RESTITUTION

G20 protesters who were charged and appeared in court on Monday August 23rd, were also required to pay restitution, in order to have their charges dismissed. For the three hundred or more protesters who were in court, 58 had their charges dropped, after agreeing to pay restitution, while the rest were not, including 17 protesters, who are still facing charges of conspiracy. The move by the Canadian government to criminalized the protesters actions and to make it illegal for anyone to openly criticized the government's actions, are illegal and against international human rights laws.

These actions are more representative, of a police state than a democratic government and most people would also agree. Since the charges were dismissed, it means also that there were no legal rounds for it, or that it had no legal merit to proceed on. So why were the protesters fined?, which in essence, also, is a show of guilt? Did the court find them guilty and what law did they break by simply exercising their democratic right to dissent?

This is also a move to silence critics of the Canadian government and since the g20 summit in Toronto, there has been many human rights violations, by the Canadian government, in regards to this issue. The Canadian government is know for its disingenuous approach in suppressing dissent, but now it is also acting openly, in regards to this. How does it feel, to be criticized, as it has also criticized other countries on those same issues?. Now that it has also done the same. The question to be asked then, is, what is next?