Yesterday (Thurs, Feb 12, 2026), The Crown's Office chose to withdraw ALL charges from our Legal Observer who was arrested at a protest at Toronto Metropolitan University Sept 24th, 2025, rather than have the body cam footage entered into the record. Those charges should never have been filed.

1/🧵 In 2025, Orange Hats—legal observers supporting liberatory movements in #Toronto —documented a significant escalation in Toronto Police Service (TPS) interference during protests, particularly those in solidarity with Palestine. Read our report at: orangehats.noblogs.org/general/oran...

A couple of our team members appear on this week's episode of Blueprints of Disruption podcast discussing our  2025 Year-in-review Report on TPS Conduct at Protests. Listen here: blueprints-of-disruption.captivate.fm Read our report here: orangehats.noblogs.org/general/oran... #Toronto

We've been quiet, but we've been busy. We've reworked some of our sessions to more accurately reflect the world in which we live. ========================= First up: Know Your Rights. ========================= (For the fuller preamble, see:) kolektiva.social/@OrangeHats/... #PoliceDontKeepUsSafe

“You know, it could be easy to say, oh, well, the law's not gonna save us. Yeah, no shit. We’re aware of the shortcomings of the law, but at the same time, you still gotta put up a fight. Like if you get snatched by the state you’re gonna wanna put up a fight. So…” 1/2

Get in front of potential issues with friends, roommates, and family saying or doing the wrong thing when it comes to dealing with the cops. Make time to have a few key conversations with key people. #Toronto #TorontoActions #TorontoActivists

1/5 Police brutality is designed to make people feel alone and afraid to show up to fight systems of oppression. We're especially seeking reports from the police violence that took place at Casa Loma on May 27, 2025. #PoliceDontKeepUsSafe #Toronto #TorontoActions #TorontoActivists

Orange Hats was the legal observer arm of the former Movement Defence Committee. First a little history: Did you know civilian legal observing/CopWatch started with the Black Panthers in the 1960s? Read on. #LegalObservers

What is Collective Defence and how can combining your legal strategies with other activists arrested during the same action help you get better outcomes from the legal system? Info from the Community Justice Collective. orangehats.noblogs.org/policing/wha... #LegalSupport #ActivistResouces