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The interruption of a Studying With Royalty drag tournament at a Calgary library via a town preacher amounted to felony behaviour, a prosecutor argued Monday.
However the legal professional for Derek Scott Reimer instructed the Crown had did not end up his consumer’s behavior used to be the rest greater than “a distraction.”
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Defence suggest Andrew Mackenzie argued Justice Allan Fradsham will have to acquit Reimer of fees of inflicting a disturbance and mischief in reference to a Feb. 25, 2023, tournament on the Seton section of the Calgary People Library.
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“I’ve yet to see a case where a distraction of the nature of this case was sufficient to get there,” Mackenzie stated, of a discovering his consumer’s behavior used to be felony.
However Crown prosecutor Matt Dalidowicz stated Reimer’s interruption of the development, the place he entered a room on the library the place drag kings or queens have been studying tales to kids and started screaming, crossed the felony order.
Dalidowicz stated Reimer’s purpose for his assault at the tournament used to be punctuated via his feedback as he left and increased the behavior to each inflicting a disturbance and committing mischief via interfering with the lawful worth of detail.
As Reimer left when police arrived he stated “we’ll be back at the next venue. We’re shutting these down. Three cancelled drag events in eight days. Get used to it Calgary,” Dalidowicz famous.
“That is key in terms of understanding what Mr. Reimer intended to do with his behaviour.”
‘We had crying children’: observer testimony
All through testimony extreme September, Calgary People Library worker Robyn Grey, who arranged the development on the Seton section, testified Reimer used to be one in all 3 folk who interrupted this system.
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And he or she stated the behavior of the native pastor used to be probably the most disruptive.
Grey instructed Dalidowicz the development started at 11 a.m. with a sing-along ahead of one in all two visitors from Calgary Pleasure wearing drag started studying to the kids.
“We had approximately 12 to 15 children, and total in the room about 40 to 50 people,” she stated.
All through the studying of the primary secure, a girl stood up and stated “something along the lines of ‘do you know what you are exposing your children to,’” Grey stated, including the lady began filming complaints along with her telephone.
A gaggle of grownup contributors amassed round her, stopped her talent to video report the development and compelled her from the room, Grey stated.
Then the primary studying and throughout a 2nd sing-along a person entered “shouting religious jargon,” she stated.
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Next, a tiny or two upcoming, Reimer entered.
“He started yelling, or talking extremely loudly,” Grey stated.
Reimer used to be sooner or later ready to get at the back of the level department and close the kids.
“We had adults that were visibly shaken. We had crying children,” she testified.
Fradsham stated he’s going to hand ailing a written determination within the case at a upcoming pace.
KMartin@postmedia.com
X: @KMartinCourts
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