Everyone is okay. Let’s start with that. They accept what has happened because they must. They accept, with traces of anger and disappointment [and a multitude of other emotions], that the state’s position is not one of truth or justice but rather one of ingrained colonialist power, open to rampant abuse and personal egotism [my words, not theirs]. As previously posted, three of the #SwampLine9 blockaders were to appear in court Tuesday to accept a one-year peace bond offered to them Monday by the assistant crown attorney, Stephen O’Brien. Yesterday however, O’Brien stood before the court and recanted that offer, outright lying about the deal’s existence and instead asking for two years because of a public callout for court support made on this page – a callout not even made by the three appearing. While the capricious and arbitrary punishment was mitigated when a fourth blockader came forward [at risk to herself] and took ownership for the “provocative and confrontational” callout, Ed, Mae & Sigrid were still bullied into accepting an alternative proposal, and all because O’Brien was convinced that autonomous action does not exist. Ultimately the entire process was a shit-show. At one point O’Brien was so visibly incensed that he threw documents across a table. He then stood in front of the court and lied about the deal, and lied about lying to the defendants. Then he claimed that none of it mattered, because ultimately he could do what he wanted. And so he did. O’Brien insisted that being of First Nation should have no bearing on sentencing, and then tried to assert that the land currently occupied by Enbridge facilities or pipelines belongs to Enbridge – not to Six Nations or any other First Nations group the land has been stolen from. Unbelievably, Stephen also seemed to believe that two of the defendants should change places of residence and not use sections of the TTC because of their proximity to Enbridge’s Line 9. If S/SGT Hahn, who has reappeared and seems to be riddled with obsessive rage issues of his own, was truly interested in protecting “the decorum” [ahem.] of the court he probably should have been arresting people like O’Brien instead of threatening supporters of the blockaders with arrest – including a woman using a mobility device – for failing to rise for the JP. Ultimately all of this was -in my opinion, of course - a result of an overzealous court officer with what seems to be a personal vendetta, and a crown prosecutor unwilling to believe for even a moment that people are capable of independent thought and action. The thing is – and this part is for you, O’Brien – that just because you operate within an exceptionally inefficient and oppressive hierarchical structure doesn’t mean we all do. I write this now, for example, independently and I sincerely hope that you don’t attempt to displace blame or penalty onto undeserving people. You once said to someone, Stephen, that you didn’t want to make a decision against the public interest. You said you wanted a reason to go easy on one of the defendants, indicating that a promise they would never do wrong again might be sufficient. But what you really meant is that you wanted them to say they would never break the law again, because protecting the land and water is in the public’s interest, and defending the land and water will never be wrong. And so you find yourself on the wrong side of this battle. Because you subscribe so purely to the idea and system of law - to a thing that is inflexible and inconsiderate - instead of to something that allows for empowerment, concession and humanity. You, Stephen, subscribe to a system, instead of to people, and as a result, you bullied three very kind and caring people into accepting a deal because you were too ignorant and angry to see the truth. You lied to them. You displaced unwarranted anger towards them, and you abused your systemic authority. That all of this was allowed to happen in a courtroom really just shows us that the system is a sham. But people aren’t – and people will call you on your shit. Like this post does. And the next bit? That’ll be the public calling you out on your shit. Stephen O’Brien Crown Attorney’s Office, 4th Floor 441-45 Main St. E. Hamilton, Ontario L8N 2B7 Phone: 905-645-5260 Ext: 3807 email: [email protected] posted by an @utonomous individual capable of individual thought and action. because that happens in real life.
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