(I'll be reporting on this toward the end of my radio show, with guest Rabbi Weiss, today...we hope for a call in from STS!)
The Calgary Herald reports:
CALGARY - A Chase, B.C., man will not go to jail after being convicted on Monday of obstructing a peace officer while protesting former U.S. president George W. Bush's visit to Calgary last year.
Provincial court Judge Manfred Delong handed a conditional discharge to John Pasquale Boncore, 58, and placed him on probation for a year.
Boncore, who uses the name Splitting the Sky, must make a $1,000 donation to a charity of his choice and pay a $50 victim fine surcharge as conditions of his probation.
I spent the afternoon in court listening to the Splitting-the-Sky case.
He won.
No criminal record, he has to make a donation to his favourite charity.
Ramsey Clark spoke on behalf of the defendant; the Crown did not object.
Overheard the Crown lawyer in the elevator say "I don't like Bush either".
Thanks for signing the petition.
And thanks to Calgary Social Justice Unitarian members who signed.
JD.
Congratulations to Splitting-the-Sky, who faced up to two years in jail, for striking a huge blow for justice--and staying free to fight another day!!!
