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Byron Sonne: Not Guilty on All Counts

Byron Sonne, dubbed by some folks in the media as the “G20 Geek” was found not guilty on all counts today. Byron is a computer consultant and a freedom-and-technology activist who wanted to expose the 2010 Toronto G20 Summit’s “security theatre” — measures taken by security that serve little actual purpose except to present a false image of security and to justify the security team’s budget — and wound up being arrested and accused of planning to detonate bombs at the event.

Byron faced some pretty tough opponents: a police force who’d pretty much used the summit as an excuse to make mass arrests and crack some skulls, detective Tam Bui playing the bad cop’s bad cop, and Liz Nadeau as the prosecutor determined to justify the security theatre. His house was raided, he and his wife were arrested, he was put in prison for nearly a year, his stuff was confiscated and his ability to use a computer — the tool of his livelihood — was seriously curtailed. In the process, he lost not just his freedom, but also his wife.

While I don’t agree with the way in which Byron went to point out the security theatre of the G20 Summit, I believe that as the citizenry that is supposed to be served by the security mechanism put in place (and we were very badly served), we have the right to call it out. Byron’s arrest and the prosecution’s actions during the trial were just extensions of that security theatre, and his exoneration is one small step to justice being served. He would be justified in taking legal action against the police — they’re the real criminals in this case.

Congrats, Byron! I’m buying you a freedom beer when we next see each other.