Gill Graham - On2Ottawa arrestee release conditions especially punitive, appear to break Charter
Channel: Last Generation
Date: 2023-09-13

On2Ottawa spokesperson Gill Graham speaking outside the Supreme Court of Canada on the release conditions that On2Ottawa supporters have been receiving as a result of their peaceful protests in Ottawa.

As a civil disobedience campaign On2Ottawa supporters purposefully break minor laws in order to draw attention to larger injustices and the need for change.  Breaking the law has consequences and On2Ottawa supporters rightfully accept the consequences of their actions. Like all Canadians their rights are protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, however unlike other Canadians they have been singled out for particularly punitive release conditions that go far beyond what similar offenders might reasonable expect.

Conditions include:
- A grandmother arrested on August 23rd on Laurier at City Hall was banned from a 1km radius of City Hall, which includes Parliament Hill and much of downtown Ottawa. She is not to communicate with the 6 co-accused nor the three people previously arrested on August 21st.
- An Ottawa area resident arrested August 31st on the Portage Bridge, was banned from the entire region of Gatineau, and was denied a variation to allow him to visit his elderly mother who lives in Hull.  He was told he would have to agree to the release condition or be held in custody over the long weekend before seeing a judge about the variation.
- A mother from BC, who was arrested September 3rd on exit 118 of the 417 is not to be within 100m of any highway offramp, not be within 500m of any interprovincial bridge, is not to communicate with the 15 people who had been arrested at earlier On2Ottawa actions, not to attend any On2Ottawa gathering, and is banned from the *entire province of Ontario*.
- Normally Laura Sullivan acts as On2Ottawa's spokesperson, however she is currently bound by 8 release conditions after spending 33 hours in jail for sitting in the street. Her release conditions ambiguously don’t allow her to advocate on On2Ottawa's behalf, nor is she able to interact with any On2Ottawa media. She is also not allowed in the municipality of Ottawa.

This horrific summer (2023) of fires, floods, and tornadoes must serve as a wake-up call, that despite government promises and while our peer countries emissions are going down, ours continue to go up and our governments continue to allow the building of new fossil fuel infrastructure.

Canadians are being failed by their governments who are knowingly making decisions that will result in the deaths of millions.

On2Ottawa would like to end by pointing out section 219(1)(b) of the Criminal Code of Canada states that "Every one is criminally negligent who in omitting to do anything that it is his duty to do, shows wanton or reckless disregard for the lives or safety of other persons."  The state exists to protect its citizens. Canada's governments are not only failing to do that, but are actively participating in action that they know will result in the deaths of Canadians.

Who are the real criminals, the On2Ottawa supporters peacefully sitting in the road, or the governments who fail to protect Canadians?