[Action-forum] Poverty Activist Arrested
Jane Scharf
N E W S R E L E A S E
For immediate release
City Hall Bans Peaceful Protesters, Poverty Activist Arrested
Activist Jane Scharf was arrested on the lawn of city hall on the opening
morning of the Chiarelli Street Bazaar, a protest designed to bring
attention to the criminalization of poverty and dissent by the city and
police.
Most specifically this years protest was to be focused on the City's
temporary "Designated Spaces Program" bylaw which prohibits all Street
ventures such as arts, crafts, and busking as well as distributing a street
newspaper for donations. The protest site was to be a safe place were street
people could offer their arts, crafts, music and newspaper for donations.
At 12:00 moon police, city bylaw enforcement, and city hall security
descended on the peaceful protest as curious Canada Day revelers looked on.
In the shadow of the Human Rights Monument, Jane Scharf was arrested for
trespassing and mischief (no grounds given). Other participants and members
of the Homeless Action Strike were given written notices and barred from
city hall property under threat of immediate arrest. This included Janešs 14
year old daughter who was traumatized by the arrest of her mother and the
threat of arrest herself. She cried as police aggressively demanded her name
and address under threat of arrest.
In the summer of 2004, homeless people and their supporters established a
tent city on the lawn of city hall as part of the Homeless Action Strike, a
protest designed to draw attention Ottawa's over zealous use of the Safe
Streets Act and to criminalize poverty. Obstruct police charges were laid
against Scharf and were used to bar her from city hall which and
subsequently withdrawn after the protest was viciously torn down by police
1.5 months later. As a result of the protest, the Task Force on the Homeless
and Safe Street Act was struck at city hall to examine the issues raised by
the protest. In the summer of 2003, a protest by the Homeless Action Strike
under the pedestrian overpass west of the Rideau Centre was shut down by the
police, for which Jane Scharf is still defending herself on a mischief
charge.
This time Scharf was released from jail 6 hours later with only a trespass
to property ticket. She is planning to launch a constitutional challenge in
defence of this charge as her right to assemble, right to free speech and
expression were violated by the act of shutting down this peaceful protest.
She will file an appeal of the trespass notice to the city on Monday.
Jane Scharf says, "once again the city and police have blatantly disregarded
my civil right to protest. This time they have abused my daughter as well
which I will take them to task for. Their actions were even more arbitrary
than last year which tells me the mayor is very worried about the public
learning about the temporary "Designated Spaces Program" they are trying to
pass as a permanent bylaw by the end of August. Our trespass notices which
sites no reason expires on September 2. Is it a coincident that the trespass
notice ends only days after they are planning to pass this Draconian bylaw?
I think not!"
For more information, contact: Jane Scharf at (613) 740-1146 dn...@ncf.ca
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