Handcuffed and charged for public transit conversation?

The ambiguous and apparently selectively applied bylaw prohibits transit users from engaging in conduct that would “interfere with the comfort, convenience, or quiet use and enjoyment of the transit system of any reasonable person.”

Folks familiar with Calgary Transit, especially the downtown leg of the C-Train tracks, have no doubt witnessed their fair share of conduct that could be described as interfering with comfort, convenience or quiet on a near daily basis, and whether it be fisticuffs or drug related hysterics, those folks will attest that response times aren’t always prompt.

So what did these two individuals being represented by TDF do to merit charges, and apparently even a handcuffing for one man involved? Surely it must be something egregious like setting off a firework or engaging in a heated melee right? Wrong.

Apparently, they were having a conversation, potentially in relation to the 1 Million March for Children, and someone overheard them and called in a complaint. Allegedly cuffed and charged, all for having a conversation someone disagrees with?

Per a release from TDF:

The men, who have not been told what they did to contravene the by-law, report having had a private conversation on the C-train with a like-minded passenger en route to the march. While the train was mostly empty, it appears that someone overheard their conversation and reported it to bylaw as the men were detained by enforcement officers upon exiting the train.

You can read TDF’s full release by clicking here.

Rebel News was joined by Alan Honner who is taking on this case to share what limited details are currently available and to break down the legal basis for TDF’s challenge against this troubling case.

We also discussed the broader implications of the bylaw and the emerging trend within progressive cities of mayors and city councils passing bylaws that seem to be selectively applied to suit their agendas, with arbitrary limitations on protesting outside drag story hours and bans against distributing pro-life literature serving as prime examples as of late in and around Calgary, and indeed across Canada.

Countless Canadians, from pastors to protesters, simply would not have been able to afford to fight government overreach throughout Covid-19 and now within the cultural battle against censorious Charter-trampling laws with The Democracy Fund. If you are able, consider supporting their ongoing efforts to defend democracy by donating here.