On Monday, December 1, 2003, six local activists will be in Provincial Court at 222 Main Street in Vancouver to face a series of allegations arising from a demonstration in October, 2002. A crowd had gathered at the Britannia Community Centre on Vancouver’s east side to protest Premier Gordon Campbell’s planned attendance there. The police responded with force and arrested a total of eight people, including two juveniles.

Some of the accused will allege that their constitutional rights were violated by the police actions. According to the contents of a formal complaint filed with the Vancouver Police Department, the police transported the activists to a private parking lot on commercial property, opened the paddy wagon doors, and threatened to assault them. (This occurred about three months before the notorious Stanley Park assaults). Later, the activists were strip-searched and detained for up to 27 hours before being released.

The Court file number is 138904.