This is the year.

An Abolitionist Resource List  Toronto, Canada - June 17, 2020 “...I have been locked by the lawless. Handcuffed by the haters. Gagged by the greedy. And, if i know any thing at all, it’s that a wall is just a wall and nothing more at all. It can be broken down. DDD I believe in living. I believe in birth. I believe in the sweat of love and in the fire of truth.” From Affirmation by Assata Shakur  Immediate Action Donate to Black-Led and Transformative Organizations  BLM - Toronto - https://blacklivesmatter.ca/donate/ ; Disability Justice Network of Ontario; Jane-Finch Action Against Poverty ; Black Creek Community Farms - https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/32601 ; Black Women in Motion; Black Legal Action Centre - https://donorbox.org/donate-to-blac ; Groundswell Fund - https://groundswellfund.ca/   Protest: Defund the Police TO - organized @BlackLove.TO June 20th from 12pm - 4pm, meeting at Nathan Phillips Square “We Keep Ea...

I work at the busiest courthouse in the country. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, when thousands of workers have been ordered to work from home, schools and universities have been closed, and events numbering over 250 cancelled, it felt like nothing had changed at the Brampton Courthouse. Despite these risks, the courthouse was busy and people remained incarcerated. Imprisoned people were brought from jails to the court, and kept up to 8 at a time in small jail cells under the courtroom. They had only a steel open toilet, and no sink, soap, tissues or disinfectant. Jury-trials may have been called off , intermittent sentences suspended, and family visitations halted, but hundreds of people are still being forced to attend court. Those who failed to attend risked a warrant for their arrest. In court, people sat side by side, shared pens, handcuffs, and communicated in close-contact. It was clear that the perceived needs of the legal system were prioritized over public he...