The Toronto Community Solidarity Network hosted a fundraiser at the Detour Bar in Kensington Market last week. The night featured bands garbageface and Test Their Logik, and was intended to raise funds for people facing charges resulting from the G20. When I walked into the club, I made the suggested donation, and someone scrawled an anarchist's A on my hand. I didn't know what I was getting into, but solidarity, right?

As far as the music goes, I wasn't disappointed. Although garbageface performed with a small handicap, his nevertheless managed to put on a decent show. He normally uses a device to capture his beatboxing and then loop it while he raps overtop, but due to mechanical difficulties he was forced to improvise some quick and dirty beats. He pulled it together somehow, even if the crowd was a little hesitant about looping his beats for him.

The night's other performers, Test Their Logik, were arrested before the G20 and charged with conspiracy and counseling others to commit an indictable offence. In the wake of the summit, they've had non association terms placed upon them, which has prevented them from touring or releasing any new music. Insofar as this fundraiser was designed to help people who are are dealing with non association terms, a time sharing system had to be worked out so that different community members could attend at various times and thus not violate their bail conditions.

The band's set featured an in-your-face style hip-hop, which unsurprisingly featured intense lyrics about the summit and their ordeal. They have an agressive and anarchist bent to their music, but are mostly mild mannered when not performing.

The estimated cost for defending a conspiracy charge is up to $80,000 for the dozen or so people still working their way though the legal system. The fund is accepting applications from anyone who received charges during the G20 protests, even if the charges have since been dropped. The deadline for applications is the 15th of October.

The Toronto Community Solidarity Network only collected a few hundred dollars last Thursday, but the organization runs fundraisers like this once or twice a month, and also accepts direct donations from interested parties, and hopes it events raise awareness of the financial hardships placed on the individuals involved.

Writing by Peter MacDonald. Photos by Jenny Bundock.