[van-announce] Fw: Britannia Legal Update, 9pm Friday

[Jim Brown]

Sent: Saturday, October 05, 2002 12:45 AM
Subject: Fwd: Britannia Legal Update, 9pm Friday


October 4th, 02

9pm

Britannia Police Riot Legal Update.

When they let the adults out of jail there was a crowd of about 20 people gathered in the loading bay of the Cordova St. pre-trial centre. They came out slowly at first, ten or twenty minutes between each prisioner, then at the end, all the remaining at once. Someone had paid for a lawyer to come down and see them all out... once they were no longer reliant on the absent and overworked duty council, they were all out quickly. Seems that the substantial police report had something to do with it too... it wasn't until 5:30 or 6pm that the crown had selected charges and conditions for them. They are being tried seperatly, on the different "evidences" the cops and the crown can manage to scrape up on them individually. 

I have listed below some of the initial reports people gave upon release, not as legal evidence since this is by no means a complete record of any of their experiences, but only to give comment on the intensity of police response to people uniting and resisting state violence... whether instituted by government reform and legislation or by police clubs and chemical spray. The record is chronological based on the order people were released. Interviews could not be maintained because people had to leave before others were released due to "non-association" conditions they were forced to sign... and because people were really tired and discombobulated / fucked-up.

MURRAY BUSH: 

Charged with "assaulting a peace officer". 

Conditions: Not to associate with any others arrested / Not to carry weapons / Not to be within 2 blocks of Gordon Campbell / Not to wear a mask in public (others were subjected to same conditions)

Quote: "I was arrested for protesting the police assault of a twelve year old boy."

What happened after arrest: (paraphrase) - We were in 2 wagons... I was in one with about 4 others.... sitting in the back tank with Scott. I guess the cops thought he had thrown something at them and hit one, I don't know... a juice can or something they were saying. They had us in the wagons and drove us all into the Canadian Tire... held us there for about an hour. They'd open the doors and there was just a sea of cops out there. They took us out one at a time and bagged our belongings. They had the door closed and it was hot and hard to breathe, then they opened it. There were probably 25 cops just around the back of the wagon, around the open door lookin gin on me and Scott. This one cop points at Scott, and he's really mad. He points at Scott and says something to the order of; "You're the asshole who hit me with that thing. Come out here and we'll straighten things out now!" Scott refused to get out. I'm glad he didn't. I though they were going to kick him to death. that cop was really mad and it 

Murray was never allowed to make a phone call, despite repeated requests.

GEORGE FEENSTRA

Charges: Assault Peace officer

Conditions: Same as others.

Quote: "They treat people like animals in there. But they didn't break my glasses or my spirit."

JESSICA "SKYY" MOTT

Charges: Assault peace officer

Conditions: Same as others

MARTIN FOURNIER

Charges: Obstruction of Officer

Conditions: Same as others.

SCOTT ROHAN

Charges: Assault Officer

Conditions: Same as others.

After Arrest: (see what Murray said about the cops threatening Scott in the canadian tire parking lot... Scott said the same thing, plus:) "they were all standing around the open door and this one cop steps foreward and says, "why don't you come out here now, tough guy?" and when I say "no thanks," he and some others say, "It doesn't matter, we know where you live.. we'll come take out out."

Scott had his shirt torn off when he was arrested. He was left in the cell for 27 hours without a shirt. It's cold in jail.

Scott was denied a phone call for 7 hours following his arrest.

JUSTIN GOODMAN

Charges: Obstruction of peace officer.

Conditions: Same as others.

Requested to speak to counsel before being strip searched and was denied.

Made numerous requests for a phone call and was denied... no phone call.



Everyone appreciates the efforts of everyone outside. 

There are no reports yet from the people charged as minors. I'll post them when I get them. 

The Government is afraid of us.

The cops are afraid of us.

We are winning.

We will win.

- Ivan.



 
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