We demand: Drop all charges! Stop Project Resolute! Hands off Ty!
Tynan Liebert is a committed CUPE activist and founding member of the Communist Workers Circle. Along with more than 100 other supporters of Palestinian liberation in the GTA, he has been caught up in Project Resolute , an expanded ‘Hate Crimes Unit’ operation initiated by the Toronto Police Service in the aftermath of Al Aqsa Flood. Among those criminalized are trade unionists, like Ty, who steadfastly support Palestine and its liberation.
In March of 2024, Ty played a role in protesting a Liberal Party fundraiser for Chrystia Freeland — then Deputy Prime Minister of a government that not only arms Israel as it commits genocide against the Palestinians but also breaks strikes, like that of the postal workers in CUPW. At this protest, Ty was doxxed and then charged twice with assault.
Ty did not commit any assault!
After a year and a half of being dragged through cop shops and courts, Ty was found not guilty on one charge, but he was found guilty on the second charge despite clear video evidence showing that someone else placed their hands on Ty’s accuser. The judge ruled that even if Ty did not grab them, he was a ‘party to an assault’ because he was present and participating in the protest to shut down the fundraiser. In particular, the judge accepted as fact that Ty said, “Go home, you are not getting in,” which, combined with his proximity to the assault, indicated to the judge, “that it was the intention of Mr. Liebert that force be applied to [the accuser] to prevent her from entering the event.” Despite Ty not actually speaking to his accuser at the protest at all, the logic of the judge's ruling is a threat to any protester or picketing worker.
Overturn the Conviction
On November 5, Ty was given a one-year suspended sentence. He will now receive a criminal record and probation that includes anti-democratic restrictions on his rights to participate in protests and own firearms.
The judge's ruling is not only an attack on Ty but on every protester and picketing worker in this country! The purpose of a picket line or protest is to shut things down! Workers walking a picket line routinely tell drivers to “turn around, you are not getting in here!” If this ruling is not appealed and overturned, it sets a precedent that if any assault takes place at a protest or on a picket line, then everyone else can be found guilty of being a “party to assault.”
We must stand up for and explore all avenues to protect our democratic rights, including our right to protest, our right to assemble, and our right to strike!
Supporters of Ty are committed to launching a legal appeal to challenge this dangerous ruling and overturn his conviction! Please dig deep to help fund the appeal - any bit helps!
Breakdown of Expenses - $30,000
We have retained the services of a GTA-based lawyer specializing in criminal law. The majority of the $30,000 in appeal expenses will go towards lawyer fees, but there is also the charge for accessing court transcripts from the trial.
Coverage of Ty's Case:
The Canada Files - Canadian pro-Palestine labour activist facing trumped-up 'assault' charges
The North Star - Ontario Unionist Found Guilty for his Support of Palestine
The Communist Workers Circle is a political organization centred on unionized blue collar workers in the Toronto area. The CWC is part of the working class and participates continuously in its struggles, seeking at all times to raise the level of consciousness and organization of the class from within.
