Update on Francis Barrett being carded by Ottawa Police

"After watching me from across the street (in front of 65 Bank) they [the police] came across the street, stood behind me (see picture below), said nothing for a couple of minutes until I turned and said, is there a problem? That is when he [one of the police officers] said you're breaking the bubble zone law. I said your joking, can't you see the sign right beside me? Don't you know were the bubble zone is?" Francis Barrett

It is abysmal how pro-life people are treated in Ontario. 

First we were prevented from praying in front of the abortion site with the abortion bubble zone law. This forced Fr. Tony Van Hee to bring a Charter Challenge against the government for this discrimination. 

Now Francis Barrett has been carded. 

He first complained to the Ottawa Police about the treatment he and others received at the abortion site (outside the bubble zone). After multiple meetings, phone calls, emails, and four months of waiting, Mr. Barrett never received an apology for his treatment.

He then complained to the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD). The OIPRD is an "independent" group in charge of complaints against the police:

"OIPRD is responsible for receiving, managing and overseeing all public complaints about municipal, regional and provincial police in Ontario. As an independent civilian oversight agency, we make sure that public complaints about police are dealt with in a manner that is transparent, effective and fair to both the public and the police." 

What did the OIPRD do with Mr. Barrett's complaint? They dismissed it:

Not 'transparent'. Not 'effective'. Not 'fair'.

Even though these peaceful pro-life persons, acting within the law, were asked for ID for no reason, and subsequently intimidated by the Ottawa Police, the appeal was dismissed. (The OIPRD reports to the Attorney General's office. How can an appeal board be independent when they report to a government bureaucracy?).

Mr. Barrett was also told that there is no other appeal, and that his only other recourse was to go to Judicial Review, ie, go to court. All he wanted was an apology for their behaviour. They wouldn't give him one.

(When I had my own Charter Challenge with the Attorney General, the judge who ruled against the AG for hiding abortion information actually noted that the only recourse a citizen has in these circumstances, is to go to court. That this was unfair. We see this exact same behaviour today: A citizen must go to court--at great personal expense--to get justice in Ontario against the AG and its army of highly paid lawyers.)

This:

"the officers were acting in their authority in checking the permission of the group to be there." 

So I asked. What authority is that? They refused to answer my question.

This:

"The circumstances outlined in his complaint do not suggest that the police were engaging in that prohibited activity at the time they requested his identification." 

The police were definitely engaging in a prohibited activity. It's called carding. 

"This regulation describes the limitations and duties of police officers when collecting identifying information (also known as “carding” or “street checks”).The regulation applies if a police officer asks a person for identifying information or to see an identifying document while:

• Looking into suspicious activities
• Gathering intelligence
• Investigating possible criminal activity

During these interactions officers must inform the person of their right to not provide identifying information and provide a reason for requesting identifying information. The reason cannot be:

• Arbitrary
• That the person declined to answer a question or attempted to end the interaction
• Based on race or solely because that individual is in a high-crime location"

None of these conditions apply here. Again I asked, which of these was Francis Barrett and his small group of seniors doing that required this harassing behaviour?

No answer.

To add insult to injury we have this:

"the police have a discretion as to the nature of the identification that they may accept, and absent evidence that police exercised the discretion improperly, it is unlikely that an investigation would result in grounds to believe misconduct occurred."

Except the police had absolutely no grounds to ask Mr. Barrett for ID in the first place. So the kind of ID they would accept is entirely moot. They weren't supposed to ask for ID in the first place. 

This:

"it is unlikely that an investigation would result in grounds to believe misconduct occurred."

The OIPRD is actually admitting here that they didn't even bother to investigate Mr. Barrett's complaint. Presumably they just unilaterally decided it wasn't valid. Prejudice: 'preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience'.

And "lead to tensions"? What does that mean? The only tensions that day were the tensions caused by the police, not the peaceful senior citizens silently praying outside the bubble zone. They were intimidated for no reason. They were carded for no reason. They deserve an apology.

Peaceful protest in Ontario is only allowed if you are not pro-life.

Harassment by police of 90 year old pro-lifer

UPDATE December 27, 2019

A friend contacted the Ottawa Police regarding this harassing behaviour by Ottawa Police. Here is the response she received from Jamie Dunlop Superintendent of the Ottawa Police:

"In regards to your request, you, and all persons are free to pray at this site while respecting the bubble zone and any other legislation that may be in effect that respects your right and the rights of others.

I am not able to comment on the veracity of the article further for privacy reasons."

So we are still allowed to pray? Too bad the police's words don't correspond to their actions.
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I think they call this carding?

This is a sad and disturbing story about how pro-life people in Canada are treated. We are used to being treated badly by pro-abortion people; to being marginalized by the media; to being thrown under the bus by politicians. But this is a story of police harassment of pro-life people. One of whom is a 90 year old man who calls himself a pro-life warrior.

Frank Barrett signed up for the first 40 Days for life peaceful pro-life vigil, 11 years ago. This is where people stand in silent witness and prayer in front of the abortion killing places. Originally the vigils were held around the clock, and Frank would witness for two hours in the middle of the night.

By his own words Frank says:

“I prayed and put this time in to thank God for my health, my wife, and my family. I've continued every Tuesday since then for all these years, across the street from 65 Bank St. and even continued outside the Bubble Zone until this date.”

Here is more of what what Frank told me.

On Tuesday, Oct 1, 2019, around 2:45 he was praying with his sandwich board on the corner of Bank & Queen outside the abortion bubble zone (in front of CIBC see picture below).

A police van pulled up in front of McDonalds beside 65 Bank St. Frank assumes the Officer went into 65 Bank St, then came out and watched Frank from there for a time.

Then a second police car parked behind that van, and two officers watched him for a time then came over and stood behind him. They said nothing.

Frank turned and asked the police officers if there was a problem. One officer said he was breaking the bubble zone law and wanted to see Frank's identification.

Frank replied to him, that the officer was wrong, and explained the bubble zone law to him. The officer was not interested in listening to his explanation. After a few words Frank agreed to show the officer his retired RCMP Government issued identification card. But the officer refused it, saying it was no good. Frank was upset and then showed the officer his driver's license. This was after he showed the official permit they had for the 40 days for Life

(Note: a person in Canada can still stand and pray anywhere he or she likes without producing a permit or identification. Can't they?)

The officer didn't bother to read the permit. The six others who were with Frank praying, were also asked to produce their identification. Frank felt like he was being bullied.

Frank then told the officers they did not know what they were doing. They then called their sergeant.

Another officer arrived and now there were three police officers, with three police vans with all their lights flashing,

These were seven peaceful pro-life people (one in a wheel chair), praying; outside the bubble zone; in a supposedly free and democratic society. And this is how they are treated.

Frank thought that it must have looked like they were bank robbers.

Then the sergeant spoke to the two officers and asked Frank to stand out of earshot, which he did. The sergeant then left and Frank then asked the two policeman “So what now?”

Their answer? “You can stay here for now”. (thanks for that). Then the officers left.

Here is the final kicker. When Frank went to submit his own police report to the Ottawa police, they had no record of any of this. They even tried to discourage Frank from making a report. But he did report the incident.

Frank received a confirmation of his report and was given a case number and told it could take up to 6 to 8 weeks for them to get back to him.

Ottawa Police "Ethics" policy.

“We are committed to having a highly ethical police service, to obtain public trust and maintain public confidence that we are an honourable, courageous and service-oriented police service.”

We assume that most Ottawa Police officers know how to conduct themselves with politeness and courteous actions, all the while doing their job. However these two Ottawa Police officers did not do the force credit with their heavy handed approach with peaceful pro-life people.