Jaggi Singh Supporters Denounce Conditions For His Release

Anonyme, Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 17:21

Author: Yahya Abdul Rahman

Rest of the text:

filed 6:15 PM - July 30)

July 30, 2003 (MMN) Earlier this afternoon at the provincial courthouse in Montreal court proceedings were temporarily suspended against local activist and journalist Jaggi Singh following an outcry from an audience member in the courtroom when Judge Desbians imposed strict conditions on Singh's release.

Singh was arrested on Monday on the charges of participating in an "unlawful assembly," which was later modified to "using a megaphone" which contravenes conditions related to a previous arrest.

One of the conditions of Singh's release included denying him the right to use a device which would amplify his voice in a demo, including a microphone or megaphone.

On hearing the conditions Dexter X, also an activist and journalist, started chanting "shame, shame, shame." He was immediately grabbed by three police, choked, taken out of the courtroom and dragged down three flights of stairs and was quite shaken up. He was released 20 minutes later and addressed the press at around 5:20 PM.

In his comments to the press X denounced the decision to impose harsh release conditions on Singh,

Referring to the judge, X stated that "he is there to protect the constitution, but he is not doing his job."

"He should be dragged out of the courtroom, he should be off the bench," he further stated.

About 125 people were gathered outside the courthouse to support Singh.

A few minutes after speaking with the press X addressed the crowd and denounced the police for saying the demonstrators were armed, and referred to them as "liars."

He denounced the Canadian state for trying to silence dissent against the WTO, which he said threatens the environment, our education system and health care system, and also for attempting the silencing Jaggi's "articulate voice."

He finished his speech by stating "Words are our weapons and we will defeat them."

Immediately after X's speech, around 5:45PM, a spokesperson informed the crowd that Jaggi would be released within an hour and half.

At the time of this report, people are still demonstrating and taking to the streets denouncing the police brutality against X.

Suggested link: www.montrealmuslimnews.net/jaggicourt.htm

Subject:	Small discrepancy...
Author:	Friedplantain
Date:	Thu, 2003-07-31 12:05

I was at Jaggi's bail hearing, and I think it's important to include a detail or two: Dexter was indeed brutalized by police, but it was outside the courtroom, and after he had kicked a garbage can in the hallway. He had just given an emotional but articulate statement to the press about the shameful taking away of Jaggi's right to free expression. This was after the judge had ordered the courtroom cleared after the crowd had begun the chant of "shame."

As the cops were taking Jaggi away at this point, he thanked Dexter for speaking out from the audience. Kudos to those who started and maintained this expression of outrage; it occurred to me that I would not have thought to do it on my own--I think I'm too used to this kind of thing.

PLEASE correct me if you saw something different from what I did. Was Dexter personally cop-escorted from the courtroom before he talked to the press?

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