Accused G20 ringleader barred from talking to media

Alex Hundert, an accused ringleader of violence at the G20 Summit in Toronto, has been banned from talking to the press as part of his strict bail conditions.

Hundert has been charged with three counts of conspiracy related to G20 activities. He was released on $100,000 bail in July, which carried 20 different terms, including restrictions on participating in any public demonstration. On September 17, he was arrested after speaking in a panel discussion at Ryerson University, which police considered to be a public demonstration and a violation of Hundert’s bail terms.

The Toronto Star reports that earlier this week Hundert agreed to Justice of the Peace Inderpaul Chandhoke’s “new, more stringent, bail conditions. They include a clarification of the no-demonstration rule, to include a restriction on planning, participating in, or attending any public event that expresses views on a political issue.”

The new conditions also forbid Hundert from speaking to the media.

The Star reports that “[Osgoode Hall professor Alan Young] says bail conditions are meant to prevent crimes from being committed — and a person’s rights can be infringed upon to a “reasonable” extent to ensure public safety.” He told the Star that “People have to be able to air grievances, and the
media is a primary tool in which people can air grievances
effectively.”

Read J-Source‘s G20 roundup for a critical look at how journalists covered the riots, including first-person accounts from journalists that were assaulted, arrested or had their gear broken.