[van-discuss] Britannia Trial Update #1

[Maryann Abbs / Eric Doherty]

BRITANNIA TRIAL UPDATE #1

The trial of people arrested at the Britannia Police Riot started today,
December 1.  5 people are on trial facing charges that include:
unlawful assembly, causing a disturbance, and assaulting police.  All of
the defendants at the trial are pleading “not guilty” on all counts.

Lawyer for defendant Murray Bush has filed a constitutional challenge.
The constitutional challenge alleges that Murray was assaulted by one or
more police officers, threatened by police, stripsearched without
appropriate grounds, denied access to legal counsel in jail, and that
the extent of his detention was unreasonable and arbitrary.

There were a number of delays during the trial because of lack of
disclosure of evidence by the crown.  The crown also showed a video by a
private investigator named Dale Crump who happened to be at the scene of
the demonstration.

The crown announced that it was planning to call as many as 24 cops to
testify and one civilian, Enzo Guerriero, the Executive Director of
Britannia Community Centre.

The crown witness, Inspector Huston, admitted that police took
defendants to the Canadian Tire parking lot, and that this was not
standard procedure.  Several of the defendants say that they were taken
to the parking lot and threatened.

The trial runs until December 12 (except Fridays) at:

222 Main Street
Room 513
Starting at 9:30 am

What's coming up on Tuesday?  We will probably hear the testimony of
Inspector Huston, and Enzo Guerriero.

It is really important for supporters to continue to come out in
solidarity with the defendants in this trial.   There is a lot of money
and time being spent here to criminalize dissent and protest.




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