one year after his arrest by federal marshals, joel bitar is sentenced to twenty months in jail

In October 2012, Canadian authorities requested Joel Bitar’s extradition from the U.S. for his alleged involvement in property destruction during the June 2010 G20 protests in Toronto. On February 14, 2013, federal marshals arrested Bitar in New York. Six days after his arrest, he was released from custody on $500,000 bail and transferred to house arrest, on the condition that he wear an electronic monitoring device.

On April 16, Bitar surrendered to Toronto police. Today Bitar, who had no prior criminal record, was sentenced to 20 months in jail. He admitted joining the black bloc and shattering the rear window of a squad car during the G20 protests, but said he didn’t know at the time that there was an officer inside. According to a Toronto Sun article,

Bitar said he was a university student in New York majoring in economics and planning to became a Wall St. tycoon when major events changed his goals. When the large-scale perpetrators of the global financial crisis received federal bailouts while “millions lost their homes,” Bitar said he became an activist for economic reform.

Another G20 protester, Kevin Chianella, was also sentenced today. He received two years in prison. There’s only one remaining 2010 G20 protester from the U.S. whose criminal case has yet to resolve.

joel bitar surrenders to toronto police to face charges related to g20 protests

On February 14, federal marshals arrested activist Joel Bitar in New York. Canadian authorities had requested Bitar’s extradition in October 2012 for his alleged involvement in property destruction during the June 2010 G20 protests in Toronto. According to today’s National Post article,

The G20 riots in June 2010 — defined by images of burning police cars and black-clad protesters smashing store windows — triggered the largest mass arrest in Canadian history and an ensuing wave of civil-rights complaints.

Although Bitar was arrested in Toronto in June 2010, he was released without charges. Six days after his arrest this February, Bitar was released from custody on $500,000 bail and transferred to house arrest, on the condition that he wear an electronic monitoring device. Today he returned to Canada voluntarily and surrendered to Toronto police.

On February 21, federal marshals arrested another U.S. activist, Dane Rossman, for allegedly committing crimes during the G20 protests. (Bitar and Rossman are two of five activists Canadian authorities sought to have extradited to face such charges.) Unlike Bitar, Rossman was denied bail. His extradition hearing was scheduled for today.