A charge against a Toronto man accused of flying what police called a “terrorist flag” at a pro-Palestinian demonstration earlier this year has been withdrawn.
A 41-year-old man was charged with publicly inciting hatred after marching down Queen Street W. and Bay Street on Jan. 7, allegedly waving the flag of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
The organization is listed as a terrorist group by Public Safety Canada, which says it seeks “the destruction of the State of Israel and the establishment of a communist government in Palestine.”
Martínez says the force’s case hinged on the flag belonging to a group listed by the federal government as a terrorist group, which in and of itself isn’t enough evidence for a conviction.
“It shows that the police acted not on a legal basis but on a political basis,” he told CBC Toronto.
Meanwhile, no charges ever laid for trucks displaying actual terrorist and hate insignia such as the 3pers during the actual occupation of the capitol.
How about an actual Nazi flag … and at one point draping it over the Aboriginal war memorial in Ottawa
It’s a mentality that has come to the forefront over the past few decades but has been prevalent since the Second World War … all over the world, and in particular first world countries, it’s far easier tolerate and even embrace Fascists and Nazis than it is to accommodate Socialists or minorities fighting for their rights.
And again …
As always, ACA(dumb)B.
A 41-year-old man was charged with publicly inciting hatred
And there you have it. Abuse of the hate speech laws is no longer an academic concern. Many of us warned that this would be the outcome. Now it has come to pass.
How was this abuse of the hate speech law?
The cops arrested him without following the law.
Nuance is important, alot of people prefer black and white.
And I’d think it would only be an abuse if the government was willing to convict. Cause pigs gonna pig.
Using a law to justify arrests knowing full well they won’t hold up as a way to intimate and suppress a protest is absolutely abuse, regardless if it results in a conviction. Almost moreso.
The cops arrested him without following the law.
There is a difference between having an arrest or charges dropped and the police not following the law. By this logic OJ was illegally arrested because he was found innocent of the criminal charges.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
A charge against a Toronto man accused of flying what police called a “terrorist flag” at a pro-Palestinian demonstration earlier this year has been withdrawn.
The organization is listed as a terrorist group by Public Safety Canada, which says it seeks “the destruction of the State of Israel and the establishment of a communist government in Palestine.”
The man’s lawyer, Shane Martínez, said the charge was withdrawn by assistant Crown Attorney Patrick Clement because there was “no reasonable prospect of conviction.”
“We will persist in enforcing hate crime laws and laying charges when justified, ensuring the safety and security of our communities.”
However, Clement did say Torontonians should be “put on notice” that flying this flag, or one of any terrorist or hate group, may “very well be met with further arrests” depending on the context.
Martínez said his client, a single father, was the subject of “racism and online abuse” as a result of the charge and police not revealing what the flag was right away, leading the public to speculate.
The original article contains 585 words, the summary contains 159 words. Saved 73%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
