Joel’s Blog: Penetang, Home Sweet Home

March 5, 2014

Early this morning I was told to collect my possessions for my transfer to Central North Correctional Center in Penetanguishene, Ontario.  When my name was called I said my goodbyes to the guys on my range.  It’s only been three weeks but I’ve definitely established some friendships.  I will miss many of the people I’ve met.

After being shackled, a group of us were brought to the paddy wagon.  The ride up to Penetang was not a pleasant one.  The heat was on ‘high’ and I sat next to a man with a psychological disorder.  He rambled on about nonsensible things causing me to eventually close my eyes and begin meditating.  I transport myself to a wonderful place.  I take myself to a beach in a faraway place – I’m playfully running from a beautiful woman through sand dunes on the edge of the world.   The wind blows hard, stinging my body.

Suddenly the vehicle learches to a halt – we are here.  After processing, a group of us sit waiting in a room to be brought to our ranges.  We still have our canteen items so we pull out our cards and begin an impromptu game of spades that is quickly cut short.

I’m in my new cell now, on my new range.  I can safely say, now, that this place is awful.  Unlike the Toronto West Detention Center, this place feels like a stereotypical jail.  It’s a huge bland “super-jail” and a shining example of Canada’s movement toward mass incarceration.  I will most likely spend the next twelve months here.  I will now lay down with a candy bar and a book to do some time.

Home sweet home.

Written by Joel Bitar, an American activist serving a 20-month sentence in Canada for charges stemming from the 2010 Toronto G20 protests.

Joel’s Blog: Overcrowding and Drug Addiction

I just laid my head down to get some sleep as I feel a cold coming on and all of a sudden I hear a ruckus. I look up from my book to see a corrections officer unlocking our cell door with a very miserable person next to him holding a mat. The sick looking man says to the C.O. “I asked to be put in segregation because I’m going to be coming down from my addiction tonight.” The C.O. responds saying, “It’s not my fault you’re a crack-head” and closes the cell door behind him. So the man comes into our cell and puts the mat on the floor.

Overcrowding is a big problem in these remand facilities and is often the source of a lot of tension amongst the inmates. A few cells on this range now have three men in cells designed for two people. Factor in that we are either locked in or out of our cells all day, sometimes for multiple days at a time, and you have a recipe for disater. The brutality of this system is becoming more and more evident. This man in my cell right now is a drug addict who needs treatment and care, instead he’s trapped in a cramped cage about to have major withdrawal symptoms.

I was unable to sleep all night because the man, coming off a prescription drug addiction, groaned and gasped in agony for hours. Anyone who is under the illusion that the prison system has anything to do with rehabilitation needs to come experience this for themselves. This especially applies to those who make a living filling these cages: the judges, prosecutors, and police. Jail is the antithesis of rehabilitation because inmates are dehumanized and treated like animals. This creates a feedback loop of anger, resentment, and ultimately, criminality.

Written by Joel Bitar, an American activist serving a 20-month sentence in Canada for charges stemming from the 2010 Toronto G20 protests.

Joel’s Blog: Locked-in and Free as a Bird

We are locked in today. Lock-ins are typically done randomly and arbitrarily. The justification is that the guards are understaffed. It’s a nice break from the drama and tension of the range (all though my range is pretty calm and free of drama). I’ve been working out pretty hard since I’ve gotten here. I view self-care in here as a form of rebellion and resistance. This place is designed to destroy our bodies and minds via atrophy so anything you can do to stay physically and emotionally healthy is a counterattack. I’ve been preparing for this experience by learning bodyweight exercises, yoga, and meditation.

Since we were locked in, I invented a cardio-based routine to get the heart pumping. I literally ran in place for about an hour, mixing in jumping jacks, gate lunges, and a couple of other things. I then did 30 burpees and an ab-workout (nothing too crazy because this is a light day). I got satisfaction knowing I was more productive than all the guards in this place.

Later, before bed, I will do some yoga and meditation to relax my mind. I’ve also been acquiring threads from various places to floss since the jail has deemed it – floss – a banned item. Every tooth crevice I clean is a victory and every time the thread breaks, I curse under my breath.

Escapism is also a helpful tool in passing time. I’ve been reading magazines and watching some movies on the common TV. Yesterday, the entire range was watching “Blue Streak” where Martin Lawrence is a jewel thief who poses as a Los Angeles Police detective. A movie that makes nonstop fun of police is a pretty big deal in a place like this.

I’m expecting a visit from a wonderful friend on Tuesday so I’m excited about that. The food here at Toronto West Detention Center is excellent because there’s a legitimate kitchen. I’ve gotten comfortable here, but I’ll be moved soon. I’ll definitely be writing about that experience when it happens.

Written by Joel Bitar, an American activist serving a 20-month sentence in Canada for charges stemming from the 2010 Toronto G20 protests.

Joel’s Blog: ‘Portal into Another Dimension’

So, I’m finally through. My greatest fears have come to light. For the past four years I have been terrified of the prospect of being thrown in a cage. Bad dreams, constant anxiety, and a lurking fear in the back of my head have been my masters and it’s great relief to finally begin my sentence. It was extremely empowering to politicize my case through my statement to the judge. The Canadian legal system has been trying to depoliticize the G20 cases by turning up the statistics. I feel as if I was able to resist their efforts, at least on a small level.

After my sentencing I was handcuffed and brought through the courthouse. The court officer arresting me took me to a door with a slit just for the eyes and then knocked, like a bouncer at a hip, exclusive club. We passed through a door which could well have been a membrane into another dimension. The walls suddenly became dirty, desks dilapidated and ceilings were falling apart. I was brought into a room, surrounded by three massive court officers where I stripped, squatted, spread my cheeks and coughed (humiliation and domination are the foundation of the prison system).

The reaction to my case in the bullpen was interesting. People approached me to ask what I was in for. When I responded that I broke windows of police cars, I was treated to high-fives and even a hug. This was by far the best bullpen experience I had because I realized that – in this place – I was going to fit in. It was quite the opposite of the alienation I feel walking around the Upper East Side of Manhattan. We waited in the courthouse bullpen for about seven hours until we were brought to a paddy wagon and then transferred.

After processing I was brought to my range. On the ride over a few inmates struck a bit of fear into my heart by warning me that I might get picked on or have to fight someone. When I finally arrived in my cell, my cellmate, a forty-year-old Ukrainian father of two, showed me true kindness. He gave me extra sheets and blankets that he had collected and asked one of his friends for extra paper that I am now writing on. We spent the rest of the night discussing topics like Anarchism, the Russian revolution, the EU crisis, and the failure of the US war on drugs. It turns out he was a major student organizer for the movement for Ukrainian independence before the fall of the Soviet Union.

My first day could have been worse.

Written by Joel Bitar, an American activist serving a 20-month sentence in Canada for charges stemming from the 2010 Toronto G20 protests.

NYC ABC Letter-Writing for Joel, Kevin, and Richard

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, February 18th, 2014
WHERE: CAGE – 83A Hester Street (UPSTAIRS) New York, New York 10002 (directions below)
COST: Free

So, who wants to talk about the weather? Great, neither do we. We will note that it doesn’t always bring out the best in people. We’ll also say that, despite the winter cold, we had an amazing turnout for Punk Rock Karaoke that benefited NYC ABC. Money raised from the event helps fund projects such as our every-other-week political prisoner letter-writing dinners, which we’ve been consistently hosting for nearly seven years.

This Tuesday we continue the project, writing to three folks from the northeast recently sentenced to prison for taking part in protests against the G20 in Toronto way back in 2010. On February 3rd, Richard Morano was sentenced to seven months in jail, whereas the prosecution was seeking 12-15 months. Ten days later, Joel Bitar and Kevin Chianella, both New Yorkers, were sentenced to 20 and 24 months, respectively. You can read Joel’s statement to the court here.

Kevin Chianella received a 2 year prison sentence for his participation in the G20 protests in Toronto in 2010. Chianella, 18 at the time, got a heftier sentence because he attacked a cop car with a canvas bag full of rocks. He is also stated to have fueled and helped sustain the fire that was set upon another cop car. Chianella, from Queens, was supported in court by his family, among them, his 90-year-old grandmother.

Come find out more about Joel, Kevin, and Richard, and other political prisoner news, and enjoy a meal with friends (new or old).

Write Joel A Letter!

We have an address for Joel! Please take a moment to write him a letter–the first days are some of the hardest for people going in. Also, please be advised that international first-class stamp for a standard letter to Canada is $1.15 or more.

Joel Bitar
Toronto West Detention Center
111 Disco Road Box 4950
Rexdale, Ontario
M9W 5L6
Canada

For more info on writing to prisoners, check out the New York City Anarchist Black Cross website.

Joel’s Statement to Court

Hello,

I have not been able to speak much since my arrest last February so I appreciate the opportunity to make a statement today. I only plan on taking a small amount of your time. At the end of my statement I am going to to issue an apology to some of the individuals who were affected by my actions. It is my hope that this statement better contextualizes the choices I’ve made that have led me to this courtroom.

I came to Toronto four years ago for many of the same reasons as the tens of thousands of other people who marched on the streets that day. These are many of the same reasons why hundreds of thousands of people have demonstrated in Seattle against the World Trade Organization, in Genoa against the G8, in Quebec City against the Free Trade Area of the Americas, in Gothenburg against the EU summit, in Rostock against the G8 and in Pittsburgh against the G20. They are many of the same reasons why people are now protesting in the streets of New York, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Turkey, Greece, Italy and Spain. It is only really possible to understand the events that took place in Toronto in the context of the global movement against neoliberalism and the corporatization of the planet. It is my belief that this movement is best explained as an individual and collective response to various forms of domination and exploitation. My politics are inseparable from my own life experiences, which I would like to briefly speak about now.

Continue reading →

Toronto G20 Repression Update: Joel Bitar Waives Extradition and Returns to Canada; Gains #2 G20 Protester Status

At the time of our last update, Joel Bitar, had been arrested in New York City on a provisional arrest warrant on February 14, 2013, by US federal marshals acting on a foreign extradition request from Canadian authorities. Joel was charged with 26 counts, almost all relating to property damage that occurred during the G20 summit protests in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in June 2010. At his hearing on February 19th, Joel was granted bail and placed under house arrest pending his extradition hearing. Since that time, Canadian authorities—cheered on and abetted by the United States government—embroiled four more Americans in the seemingly never-ending Toronto G20 repression, requesting their extradition to Canada for property damage and mask-wearing. Three of these four have already been arraigned in Canada, been granted bail, and have returned to the United States to await further legal proceedings.

On Friday, April 12th, Joel once again appeared in Federal Court, but this time to waive extradition, which would allow him to voluntarily—the customary way that the courts reference threats of arrest, imprisonment, house arrest, prosecution, and of course, extradition—return to Canada for arraignment. The Assistant U.S. Attorney voiced no objections and the magistrate judge approved the waiver. Joel’s bail was modified to allow him to travel to Canada—his passport was returned and arrangements were made to remove his ankle monitor on the day of his flight. The voluntary nature of the situation was affirmed at the end of the proceedings, with a stern reminder by the magistrate judge that Joel has one option—surrender to Canadian authorities at the given time or face prosecution in the United States, as well as the forfeiture of the $500,000 bond to the ruination of his family.

On Tuesday, April 16th, Joel traveled to Canada along with his father and was immediately arrested by Canadian authorities upon his arrival at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. By the time Joel was transferred into the hands of the Toronto Police Department it was too late for arraignment, which was scheduled for the next day, Wednesday, April 17th. Following the precedent of the prior three Americans who had been arraigned for charges from the Toronto G20, Joel was granted bail—in the amount of $100,000—with certain stipulations such as non-association with certain Canadian activists as well as a prohibition on attending any protests in Canada. Joel traveled back to his home in New York City later that same day and is free to go about his life as long as he returns to Canada—voluntarily—as needed.

In preparation for Joel’s return to Canada, the Toronto Police Department’s smear campaign went to work—leaking alleged photos of Joel to the media, and Det.-Sgt. Gary Giroux spinning straw into a man by dubbing Joel “the number two guy” on the basis of grainy surveillance photos and innocuous Facebook posts. Joel was one of 1100 people arrested at the Toronto G20 protests, the largest mass arrest in Canada’s history. These arrests have led to numerous charges of brutality and misconduct by the police during the G20 protests, as well as lawsuits and even an official public inquiry that have substantiated these claims. The charges against Joel, which are simply that—charges—almost exclusively relating to property damage, led to him being pursued across international borders, meanwhile those responsible for endangering the lives of thousands of Canadian citizens during the G20, those who beat and gassed and terrified people—the police—continue on undaunted.

We remain in solidarity with Joel, and all those who face state repression.

More updates as necessary.

ACAC19 Statement in Solidarity with Joel Bitar

The ACAC19 Support Committee would like to announce our solidarity with Joel Bitar, recently arrested in New York City and extradited to Toronto.

From SupportJoel.com: “On Thursday, February 14th, at 6 o’clock in the morning, federal marshals arrested an American activist, Joel Bitar, in his New York, NY home on a provisional arrest warrant issued by the US Attorney’s office, acting on a foreign extradition request from Canadian authorities. The complaint against Joel cites 26 counts, almost all relating to property damage that occurred during the G20 summit protests in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in June 2010. […]”

It’s unclear what the precise motivations for his arrest are but we understand fully the common denominator among our enemies – in this case, international enemies – is to promote fear among us. We want Joel to know that he is not alone as his capture seeks to make an example of him. Moreover we reject that his arrest would disable our organizing, confidence or acts of solidarity. We hope that a viral solidarity with Joel manifests in the many forms we have observed for those struggling against repression alike such as the Grand Jury Resisters, Felicity Ryder, those of the Mapuche People’s struggle, those of Villa Amalias and Skaramanga and Luke O’Donovan to name a few.

Freedom for Joel, the ACAC19 and all others who aggressively combat domination – Inside or outside of prison walls. Until then, our unrelenting solidarity,
The ACAC19 Support Committee