Paul Fromm, B.Ed, M.A. Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

REXDALE. March 1, 2015 “There’s definitely a bull’s eye target on former political prisoner Brad Love’s back,” says Paul Fromm, Director of the Canadian Association for Free Expression. Mr. Love was convicted under Canada’s notorious “hate law” in 2003 for writing letters to 20 public officials. He has been under increasingly onerous probation conditions ever since. At one point, former Ontario Judge Hogg imposed bail conditions that forbade him to write to “any person” without their consent.

Yesterday, Mr. Love attended the Winter Festival in Fort. McMurray, where he lives. He spied a table set up by SOS. He approached and plunked a wad of bank notes down on the table. “I’ll give you this entire roll, if you can tell me how much Canada’s government is giving to Haiti in foreign aid,” said aid opponent Love.

“Are you Brad Love?” the apprehensive man asked. Mr. Love confirmed his identity.

“You scrape to raise pennies and the Harper government has given hundreds of millions to Haiti,” Mr. Love added. They talked for a few minutes and Mr. Love moved on.

SOS stands for Some Other Solutions are runs a crisis prevention service.

On returning home, he called the local Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to inquire about an investigation into a Pakistani immigrant who recently returned from a visit to her homeland with pesticide that is not authorized in Canada. She used it to try to get rid of bedbugs and, in the process, two of her children died of poisoning and two more are in hospital.

“How could she get into Canada with this poison? Mr. Love asked. “Isn’t Pakistan one of those nations that exports terrorists that Prime Minister Harper is always talking about? ”

The person answering the phone said she felt “threatened” and hung up.

Twenty minutes later, three RCMP officers arrived at Mr. Love’s townhouse and arrested him for “breach of probation” to talking to the SOS representative and making his inquiry at the RCMP detachment. His probation conditions, imposed by Ontario Judge Kelly Wright as part of  a brutal 18 months sentence for breach of undertaking (which usually attracts a 30 day sentence) imposed a three year ban: “”Mr.  Love is to refrain from any political speech or commentary to any media outlet, political, cultural or religious group or organization, or police organization,.”

“Yes, this gag order was imposed in Canada, not Cuba or North Korea,” says Mr. Fromm, who has championed Mr. Love’s battle for free speech. “This is a country where press and politicians were tripping over themselves six weeks ago to proclaim ‘Je suis, Charlie’ and stand up for freedom of speech in France,” he added. “It’s time to stand up for it here!”

Early Sunday morning, Mr. Love appeared by video-conference before a JP. The police opposed bail. Mr. Love was freed on $500 bail.

Mr. Love is to appear in court March 9. “I will be seeking a jury trial. I am not allowed to talk to the media. I want 12 people to hear how this system has trampled on my freedom of speech.”