Byron faced some pretty tough opponents: a police force who’d pretty much used the summit as an excuse to make mass arrests and crack some skulls, detective Tam Bui playing the bad cop’s bad cop, and Liz Nadeau as the prosecutor determined to justify the security theatre. His house was raided, he and his wife were arrested, he was put in prison for nearly a year, his stuff was confiscated and his ability to use a computer — the tool of his livelihood — was seriously curtailed. In the process, he lost not just his freedom, but also his wife.
While I don’t agree with the way in which Byron went to point out the security theatre of the G20 Summit, I believe that as the citizenry that is supposed to be served by the security mechanism put in place (and we were very badly served), we have the right to call it out. Byron’s arrest and the prosecution’s actions during the trial were just extensions of that security theatre, and his exoneration is one small step to justice being served. He would be justified in taking legal action against the police — they’re the real criminals in this case.
Congrats, Byron! I’m buying you a freedom beer when we next see each other.
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