Police Arrest Law-Abiding Citizen & Illegally Confiscate Ultrasound Imagery
On Feb 7, 2012, at 9:07 AM, Gregg Cunningham wrote:
Good press release Stephanie. We always interact with the police before
doing street displays to reduce the likelihood of running afoul of some
ignorant, cowboy cop. Calgary has lots of cowboys so it may have more
than its fair share of cowboy cops! “Stunting” is what we go to the
circus to see. Were any of your volunteers performing acrobatic acts?
Would circus ticket holders pay to watch performers stand immobile
holding signs. That would be about as exciting as watching paint dry.
If the display of a sign along a street is a “stunt” then city and
provincial governments “stunt” every time they post a street sign. The
same offense would be committed by every business which displays
commercial signs along a street. But the double blessing in this fiasco
is that you will have another opportunity to strengthen expressive
rights and the resulting publicity helps focus public attention on the
humanity of babies and the inhumanity of abortions. Double
congratulations on those double victories.
Gregg Cunningham
The Center For Bio-Ethical Reform
PO Box 219
Lake Forest, CA 92609
949-206-0600
—–Original Message—–
From: Stephanie Gray [mailto:sgray@unmaskingchoice.ca]
Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2012 6:18 AM
To: Stephanie Gray
Subject: Immediate Release: Police Arrest Law-Abiding Citizen &
Illegally Confiscate Ultrasound Imagery
For Immediate Release:
POLICE ARREST LAW-ABIDING CITIZEN & ILLEGALLY CONFISCATE ULTRASOUND
IMAGERY
February 7, 2012. Calgary, AB. Newly released video
arresting a local anti-abortion advocate who was simply protesting on a
public sidewalk, something he had done many times before without
incident.
Francisco Gomez of the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform (CCBR:
http://www.unmaskingchoice.ca) was leading a group of young adults in a
protest near Chinook Mall this past Saturday, February 4, when police
approached them and threatened Gomez with arrest if they didn’t stop the
protest. Gomez explained that they were on these same streets many times
before and that they had a constitutional right to be there so he
refused to move. The officer then took him away and detained him in a
squad car, giving him a ticket for over $400. The police also
confiscated the group’s dozen signs which depict first-trimester
abortions and first-trimester 3D ultrasound imagery.
“We’ve been on the streets of Calgary for over two years now and have
dealt with all kinds of police, many of whom understand our
constitutional rights,” says Gomez. “Unfortunately, some of them need to
be educated that free speech rights cover unpopular speech. If I am only
allowed to share truths that make everyone happy, there would be no need
for free speech.”
CCBR’s executive director Stephanie Gray says her group has developed
this project as a way to educate people about abortion. She points out
how so many people tell their group how little they think about the
issue until they see abortion imagery.
“Canadians need to see these images in order to understand what abortion
is. But here’s why the police’s actions are so incomprehensible: If
abortion is so offensive to see that you arrest people who are holding
images of it, then why isn’t it offensive enough to arrest people for
actually committing abortions?” She continued,”If holding images of
babies killed by abortion is illegal, then why isn’t killing those
babies illegal?
Ironically, Gomez adds that the police actually seized all of CCBR’s
ultrasound imagery as well the graphic ones. Those images simply show
the developing pre-born in different stages of development. “The police
officer claimed that our images shouldn’t be on the streets because they
were something that he didn’t want his children to see. But by seizing
all our images, it seems they didn’t care what our message was,” he
said. CCBR’s signs continue to be held by Calgary police.
The officer initially told Gomez his signs had to go because they were
resulting in complaints and were obscene. Being charged with obscenity
is a criminal matter. But instead he gave Gomez a $402 ticket under the
Traffic Safety Act for stunting (stating no person shall “perform or
engage in any stunt or other activity that is likely to distract,
startle, or interfere with users of the highway”).
But Canadian courts have already ruled on a similar case. In R.v.
Whatcott, Judge Kraus of the Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s bench ruled
that a pro-life advocate was not stunting when he was publicly
displaying abortion signs. The judge wrote, “The police action was
arbitrary, discriminatory and not clearly authorized by law such as can
be demonstrated in a free and democratic society, as required by s. 1 of
the Charter…The appellant’s fundamental freedom of expression as
guaranteed by s. 2(b) of the Charter was infringed” (October 18, 2004,
SKQB 413).
“It’s appalling that police think they can bully people whose message
they don’t agree with,” said Gomez. “The police have failed in their
duty to protect the vulnerable by not stopping abortion. They are adding
insult to injury by arresting the people trying to protect the
vulnerable children that the police aren’t protecting.”
CCBR’s demonstrations have been occurring in Calgary since 2010. The
organization goes out multiple times each week and informs Calgary
police of its planned activities, times, and locations.
“We have gone above the call of duty to be helpful to police by
informing them of our whereabouts. We know we have every right to do
what we’re doing and we will not tolerate bullying and censorship,”
stated Gray, who says this recent incident is one of several in which
her group says they’ve been treated unfairly by police.
“We are tired of police violating our constitutional rights and we
demand they return our signs immediately; further, we demand the
officers involved in the unlawful seizure and arrest to be reprimanded
for abusing their authority.”
For more information contact CCBR’s executive director Stephanie Gray at
403-200-0777 (cell).
###
—
Stephanie Gray
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform (CCBR) Box 123,
5-8720 Macleod Trail SE
Calgary, AB T2H 0M4
403-668-0485 (office)
403-539-2227 (fax)