September 2004

Peace Walk Organizers Contest Charges

Police have issued charges against volunteer parade marshal Nick Ternette, as a result of his participation in Winnipeg's 23rd annual Peace Walk on June 19. The No War Coalition (Manitoba) which organized the walk issued a statement demanding that the charges be dropped.

Peace Walk organizers have always received a parade permit, and walks have been peaceful. Organisers are not aware of a right of appeal or of any criteria used by the Chief of Police to issue a parade permit.

Over 300 people participated in the June 19th Walk. At the half-way point, police officers stopped all participants for a considerable amount of time. Ternette was invited into a police car and asked questions about the parade and unrelated political involvements. Officers then decided to accompany Walkers to complete the route as if the parade was lawful.

Four days later, Ternette was charged with holding or taking part in a parade not permitted by the Chief of Police (a maximum fine of $1,000), personally obstructing traffic (maximum fine of $80) and disobeying police orders (maximum fine of $220).

"We applied for a permit to inform the fire, ambulance and public transit systems about the parade, not to receive political approval," said Darrell Rankin, one of the organizers. Four days before the Walk, police informed Rankin that they would not issue a permit because of a military parade scheduled to end at 11 am.

The No War Coalition statement points out that Ternette was not one of the organizers and that police arbitrarily charged Ternette. The Coalition views the Peace Walk as a fundamental right protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

© 2004 Communist Party of Canada