Climate change activist Olivier Huard, considered one of two folks charged after scaling Montreal’s Jacques Cartier Bridge final yr, is asking the court docket to drop the case.
“We need it cancelled as a result of all this authorized process is a whole mistake from the start,” Huard stated.
A pair of protesters are faraway from the Jacques Cartier Bridge by first responders, in Montreal, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
Huard and several other others climbed the bridge above the St. Lawrence River on Oct. 22, 2024, as a part of a protest focusing on Enbridge’s Line 9B pipeline, which transports crude oil from Ontario to Montreal.
“We need it shut down as a result of it’s an previous pipeline. It’s 50 years previous. It’s leaking yearly,” he stated.
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The protest had penalties for each Huard and co-accused Jacob Pirro. The pair spent greater than per week in jail following their arrests. “Olivier and I needed to spend respectively 10 and eight days in jail earlier than being advised it was okay for us to come back again to society,” Pirro advised Global News.
Both males are charged with mischief and obstructing a police officer. If convicted, they may face a number of months of home arrest.
Their authorized crew argues such a sentence could be disproportionate based mostly on precedent.
“Their rights have been violated. They’ve been handled extra severely than different individuals who’ve performed related issues,” stated their lawyer Barbara Bedont.
She argues the proceedings quantity to an abuse of course of by the prosecutor’s workplace.
“They’re attempting to make an instance of Mr. Huard and Mr. Pirro and that’s illegitimate.”
Crown prosecutors reject that characterization. “We disagree with this however sadly we now have to maintain our arguments for the court docket, which we are going to current and defend,” stated Crown prosecutor François Parent.
Court hearings are anticipated to proceed till Friday. A call may come subsequent week. If the costs usually are not withdrawn, the case will proceed to trial.
