Atlantica protesters released after spending weekend in Halifax jail

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/06/2007 (6851 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HALIFAX (CP) – Protesters who were arrested after a demonstration last week erupted into rock-and paint-throwing were released Monday on conditions as dozens of supporters gathered outside a downtown courthouse to celebrate their freedom.

Twenty-one people were arrested after Friday’s demonstration against a conference taking place in Halifax on the Atlantica freer trade proposal.

Nineteen people, many of them from outside Nova Scotia and two from the United States, made individual court appearances Monday on a number of charges, including assaulting police, mischief and weapons-related offences

Supporters spent much of the day raising money and making arrangements to bail out the accused. Others were released on cash sureties.

A 17-year-old youth from Sussex, N.B., was among those released after appearing in youth court earlier in the day.

Two others were released earlier and will appear in court at a later date.

The court process was initially delayed after several of the accused refused to identify themselves.

“That took a good amount of time to determine who they were,” said Crown attorney Christine Driscoll. “To determine whether they had any pending charges, warrants, criminal record, and that was a huge consideration of whether to release them or not.”

Some of the accused pulled shirts over their heads to hide their faces from news cameras, but smiled and waved to supporters, including several parents, who filled the courtroom.

The men and women, who are scheduled to return to court in early September, were ordered by the judge not to associate with each other or take part in further protests.

Friday’s anti-free-trade demonstration turned violent when about 50 protesters dressed in black and wearing balaclavas broke away from a larger group of peaceful protesters. Marching through downtown Halifax, the group hurled paint-filled light bulbs, firecrackers and rocks at police, businesses and journalists.

Police used pepper spray and electric stun guns to subdue the protesters.

Pierre Blais, who was part of a larger group of peaceful protesters, said Monday he believes some demonstrators were provoked to act violently after police began using stun guns on others.

“The actions … were an expression of legitimate rage,” he said.

Muhammad Rashid, whose son was among the charged, said he was in support of peaceful protests but took issue with the violence.

“That’s why I’m very upset by this,” said Rashid, a business professor at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. “If (my son) has done any damage to property, I don’t think I can support those kinds of things.”