Rights abuse in Victoria, BC, Canada (Re: barring none)
David Arthur Johnston | 20.01.2005 23:02 | Culture | Ecology | Social Struggles
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Hello.
I've been involved with this campaign to determine the 'right to sleep' in Victoria, BC, Canada (the journal- http://www.angelfire.com/apes/hatrackman/welcome.htm ). Though, I've forgiven the people responsible, during the course of this campaign I have been driven out of city limits 6 times and have had the government hire a security guard with the express duty of not letting me sleep (8 hour shifts for about 20 days- they did the job perfectly for about 4 days). I will not be pressing charges as the people torturing me didn't know better, though any help getting a judge to tell the police and the province that it is unlawful to wake peaceful sleepers on public access property (parks, beach, lots, etc...) would be appreciated.
On Dec. 21st, 2004, I was convicted of 'Mischief' for half the time of the campaign (it started in January 2004 and the conviction is from mid-june to Nov. 4th). I was given a conditional sentence which I did not agree to and did not sign. I told the judge, that if released, I would breach. I was released and I breached. 1 day in jail for the first breach. I was released again and breached again. 3 days in jail for the second breach. On Sunday night (January 16th) I breached for the third time and will be pleading guilty to the charge on Friday the 21st of January in the Provincial Court of British Columbia (at 9:00 AM). Given, this has been a contrived event, though do we not have the right to protest and do we not have the right for 'due process'?
I would not have been able to get as far as I have without much meditation on patience. I feel like a veteran on the front lines of a real war that is happening right now.
Do I have any rights here? Will the revealing of the 'crown's' lack of innocent presumption have to come at the cost of my life? If so, so be it, as freedom is the determiner of my contentment.
Thank you.
Patience be with you.
David Arthur Johnston
Hatrackman@Yahoo.com
Victoria, BC, Canada
PS: links to news articles-
Liberty Post (Westminster, Maryland)- http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=80680
San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco, California)- http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2005/01/07/state0921EST0042.DTL
Seattle Times (Seattle, Washington)-
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/text/2002144420_webvictoria07.html
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Seattle, Washington)-
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/aplocal_story.asp?category=6420&slug=CAN%20Homeless%20Rights
There are more stories, though little snippets here and there. The more local papers have erased the story.
David Arthur Johnston