Mass Protests Dept: “The idea of providing legal defence is something that’s not necessarily new,” said Toronto-based immigration and refugee lawyer Katherine Ramsey, one of about a dozen organizers of the MDC’s G20 effort. “It’s happened out of necessity, as a result of larger and larger mass protests happening at these types of meetings. Our goal is to circulate information to people to get access to counsel if they need it, and also to keep track as best as possible of who’s been arrested and where they end up being detained.”, according to Globe And Mail. In addition, the MDC is training volunteer legal observers – at least 60 have come forward – to act as “eyes and ears on the ground” at demonstrations, said MDC organizer and criminal lawyer Mike Leitold and the Movement Defence Committee, a working group of the Law Union of Ontario made up of lawyers, law students, and paralegals, will put observers on the streets to monitor police and protester activity, and its team of lawyers will also offer advice to protesters who find themselves arrested or facing other legal issues. About 30 lawyers have signed up with the MDC to offer free legal advice in the immediate aftermath of any arrests, and to be on call to represent protesters at subsequent bail hearings, at a reduced cost. As
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@t immigration and refugee, legal observers
18.6.10
