"She has never done anything violent or intimidating such as yelling. She has never shoved anything in someone's face such as a sign or leaflet. Her arguments focus on the humanity of the unborn, and she seeks to help women who are thinking about abortion see that there are alternatives. Linda is in jail because peaceful expression has been criminalized."
Gibbons' case now goes back to the Ontario Court of Justice.
While Friday's ruling is only a technicality in the case, civil liberties lawyers and activists will keep an eye on the case for clues as to how broader questions of limits on peaceful dissent, such as challenges to Quebec's Bill 78, might be treated by the courts.
Protesters in Quebec have vowed to legally challenge their province's emergency bill intended to crack down on student protests that have disrupted the streets of Montreal for months now.
Linda Gibbons is a potential terrorist for holding a sign in front of an abortion clinic and trying to help women.
The students who block highways, create a lot of noise and mischief and violate the law on a daily basis will never be prosecuted.
I guess it's easier to pick on an old vulnerable gramma than hundreds of potentially violent youth. Safety first, and all.
