By: Eric Jacobs

On October 31, 2012, Parliament voted to approve Bill C-309, an amendment to Section 65 of the Canadian Criminal Code also known as the Preventing Persons from Concealing Their Identity during Riots and Unlawful Assemblies Act. Following a formal rubber-stamping by the Senate, this bill will establish two new criminal offences, each with alarmingly harsh sentencing provisions. Once Bill C-309 becomes law, individuals charged with wearing a mask or other disguise while participating in a riot (defined as “an unlawful assembly that has begun to disturb the peace tumultuously”) will face an indictable offence carrying a maximum sentence of ten years; those charged with concealing their identity while participating in an unlawful assembly could face either an indictable offence—carrying a maximum sentence of five years—or a less serious summary offence. The crime of rioting currently carries a maximum two year sentence, whereas participation in an unlawful assembly is a basic summary offence.

By: Shannon Balla & Ian Stumpf of the We Remember Ashley Smith Campaign

October 19th marked the 5th anniversary of the death of Ashley Smith. She died at age 19 in a segregation cell at the Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener. In the days leading up to her death, despite being on ‘suicide watch’, Ashley’s request for transfer to a psychiatric facility was denied, as was access to her family, lawyer or advocates.  On the day she died, Ashley tied a ligature around her neck and, while staff watched from outside her cell, asphyxiated to death.

By Devin K

The Hamilton Wentworth Detention Centre or Barton Jail as it is more commonly known, has been on lock-down for over week now due to a ''labour dispute" between guards and upper management. The guards, members of OPSEU local 248, are alleging health and safety concerns, and have refused to search cells after a piece of metal fixture went missing in the jail on Monday August 13th. The guard’s refusal to work has lead to a lock-down situation with management taking over operations of the jail.

From SEIU Canada:

When the Harper government paroged parliament in order to "re-calibrate" the impression this left was that there would be a fervent of activity in the government ranks, experimenting and challenging themselves to push Canadians through to the other side of the recession. But when they did table the budget the catch phrase most used to describe it was, 'staying the course'. The operating budgets for federal departments would be frozen at the 2010-11 levels through 2013, while a review of program expenses would leave no stone unturned, and no expense spared.

Here's the latest announcement from the Toronto Anarchist Black Cross Federation and thier steller publication 4strugglemag.

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