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DAJ in jail... again again
| Message Board > Controversy and Quarantine > DAJ in jail... again again |
| BBJones User Info... |  Two protesters were arrested yesterday morning for refusing to leave a makeshift camp set up under a giant Christmas tree at Victoria City Hall. Tavis Dodds and David Johnston were cuffed and hauled away by police after telling city bylaw enforcement officers they had no intention of leaving the camp, where they have been staying since Monday. They were released after appearing in Victoria provincial court yesterday afternoon and agreeing not to set up a tent or shelter in contravention of a city bylaw. The two campers were at first reluctant to agree to the condition, claiming through lawyer Irene Faulkner that they felt the bylaw no longer existed in light of a B.C. Supreme Court ruling last month. The ruling allowed tents and other structures in park areas when shelter beds were lacking. The city of Victoria responded by restricting the hours parks could be used for camping purposes from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Some 20 shelter beds were available every night this week and about 40 beds were empty Thursday night. Troy DeSouza, who appeared as counsel for the city, said three hours of court time has been allotted for a session next Friday. He said the city's primary goal will be to get an injunction that directs Johnston and Dodds to obey the bylaw. At least three others, including former mayoral candidate Kristen Woodruff and former council candidate Jonathan Le Drew, were at the camp. They were not arrested when they said they would leave peacefully. Thursday, the city served the campers with notices that they were in violation of the bylaw regarding tents in public spaces and that everything had to be removed by 7 a.m. yesterday. City council later decided to give them until 9 a.m. to leave. The notice said failure to comply would result in the campers being deemed to be trespassing on city property and in further contravention of city bylaws. Johnston, Woodruff and Jonathan Le Drew had been camping under the tree since Monday in response to the Crown dropping earlier charges against them for camping there on Oct. 31. The last time the protesters were arrested, they were charged with the criminal offence of obstruction. The Crown stayed the charges and the campers returned. Victoria police Sgt. Grant Hamilton said that this time the protesters were being arrested not for the criminal offence of obstruction, but instead with the civil charge of continuing to breach the city's bylaw. City spokeswoman Katie Josephson said the decision to proceed civilly rather than criminally was made after city officials consulted with the Crown. "When we had the campers in Beacon Hill Park a few weeks ago they were charged with obstruction, which is a criminal charge. Crown counsel stayed those charges," Josephson said. "We met with Crown to discuss why that was the case, and they gave us further guidance that they would prefer the city pursue our bylaw enforcement through the provincial abilities, which is under the Offence Act, and that is what we've done now." Woodruff claimed the city was harassing the campers and attempting to enforce an illegal bylaw. Josephson said that was not the case. "These protesters in the square were informed yesterday that they were in contravention of the bylaw. This morning they continued to be in contravention of the bylaw and therefore they were served with that information by our bylaw officers," Josephson said. A man who telephoned the Times Colonist and identified himself as Dodds complained he was arrested unfairly, without ever being given the chance to just leave. Claiming he was calling from a holding cell, the man said despite city contentions of at least 20 available shelter beds, Centennial Square was "the best place I could find." "I wasn't planning on getting arrested, I was just waking up," he said. -- With files from Richard Watts and Jeff Bell, Times Colonist - Mon, 1 Dec 2008 8:57am | ||
| J. Peatman User Info... | Any bum who sets up camp right next to the freaking city hall does not do so out of need (obviously not with 40 beds available) but just for the sake of it being City Hall. Very immature. DAJ is a cheeky annoying smartass. - Mon, 1 Dec 2008 3:58pm | ||
| KRIEG User Info... | I'd like the media to stop referring to DAJ as a "Homeless Advocate". He does not advocate for the homeless. He does not offer solutions to individuals dealing with addictions or mental illness. He's a lazy urban camper who gets his kicks by being a thorn in the city's side. - Mon, 1 Dec 2008 4:20pm | ||
| Zedius User Info... | "They were released after appearing in Victoria provincial court yesterday afternoon and agreeing not to set up a tent or shelter in contravention of a city bylaw." Did I miss something? Isn't this what happened when DAJ got arrested at Beacon Hill? - Mon, 1 Dec 2008 7:40pm | ||
| grimlord User Info... |  | ||
| _Griphin_ User Info... | Ya know, I can never figure this out, there's LOTS of space to set up a tent in either 1 of the fields on Hillside road (by either what used to be the elementary school or the field next to Vic High), but the homeless people set up camp by city hall. Methinks they do it cause it generates news coverage, and really it's the only reason they do it, IMO. - Sat, 31 Jan 2009 12:54am | ||
| inhalien User Info... | Whoops. Looks like you might actually have to do something besides moaning to us about your tent, on the library computers. Peace be with you. http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Johnston+gets+community+service+fellow+camper+fined/1359374/story.html - Fri, 6 Mar 2009 9:31am Edited: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 9:31am | ||
| Rubber Box User Info... | Wow A whole 40 hours work to be done by May 1st. I wonder how many man hours this guy has cost the city. - Fri, 6 Mar 2009 10:23am | ||
| Lucius User Info... | I think a good tasering is in order. Cheers, Lucius - Fri, 6 Mar 2009 2:10pm | ||
| Mr. Hell User Info... | They NEED to send him to where homeless people are making big, gross messes and make him clean it all up. If they don't do this, then justice really doesn't exist. They can't let a perfect situation like this pass by. - Fri, 6 Mar 2009 2:43pm | ||
| doomhammer User Info... | Saw him, he's completely shaven and clean cut. Looks amazingly different. - Sat, 7 Mar 2009 3:07pm | ||
| Jl User Info... | ^^^^^^^^^^ LIES!!!! - Sat, 7 Mar 2009 3:12pm | ||
| doomhammer User Info... | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owQbwzMysAQ No less crazy though - Sat, 7 Mar 2009 6:55pm | ||
| Doc User Info... | This guy seriously needs to get over himself! He also needs to realize that if he dies in prison, there will be no international outcry, in fact no one will care. I think he looks creepier without all the hair and beard and stuff. ~Set fire to the sleeping homeless, that'll keep 'em warm. Doc - Sun, 8 Mar 2009 9:13am | ||
| trevor corey User Info... | He looks like the tragically hip dude. - Sun, 8 Mar 2009 11:27am | ||
| Swingin' Joe User Info... | "I think a good tasering is in order." Too soon man, too soon!! Bahaha. - Sun, 8 Mar 2009 5:13pm | ||
| grimlord User Info... | "I think ahhhh.. that ahhhhhhh.. he says ahhhhhmmm.. ahhhh too much." - Sun, 8 Mar 2009 6:36pm | ||
| Mr. Hell User Info... | It was when he said something about "cracking eggs" that I noticed his head is shaped just like an egg. - Sun, 8 Mar 2009 7:45pm | ||
| Bo User Info... | "He looks like the tragically hip dude" Haha, I was thinking the same thing - Sun, 8 Mar 2009 11:09pm | ||
| Corporal Jigsore Quandary User Info... | I concur, TOO FUNNY! - Wed, 11 Mar 2009 2:13pm | ||
| Mr. Horse User Info... | Hmmm http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_south/victorianews/news/City_must_pay_legal_bills_in_right-to-camp_hearing.html - Wed, 12 Aug 2009 6:23pm | ||
| TheBlack Pixie User Info... | Send him to a third world country where he can have a taste of what it's like to be homeless, then he'll be greatful for the society he lives in - Wed, 12 Aug 2009 9:14pm | ||
| trevor corey User Info... | sometimes i think about selling everything, maxing out like $50,000 in credit cards, and moving to "a third world country". I'd buy a crown, and have servants, and yeah, itd be sweet. King Trevcore, ruler of all he can see! - Wed, 12 Aug 2009 9:19pm | ||
| TheBlack Pixie User Info... | Exploitation, TC style - Wed, 12 Aug 2009 9:25pm | ||
| B.P. User Info... | Step 1: Get IV medication machine and LOTS of batteries daisy chained so they will last a while. 2 drip bags. 1 for Ketamine and one for Saline. Step 2: Watch DAJ's movements downtown for a few weeks so you know his pattern. Step 3: Figure out a good spot during his travels to be able to inject him with Ketamine and get his sorry ass into the back of a van. Step 4: Create, or buy, a large wooden shipping crate that will fit a body as well as the IV machine and daisy chained batteries/voltage converters. Step 5: Put his ass on a plane to Soweto and deliver the crate into the middle of the Soweto slums. Sit back and enjoy one less leach on Victoria streets. - Sat, 15 Aug 2009 8:53am Edited: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 8:56am | ||
| Rack-A-Lamb-A-God. User Info... | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIjddye2JSA - Sat, 15 Aug 2009 1:27pm | ||
| B.P. User Info... | Actually it'd be more a warped mind, Grim. Can't count how many fantasies I've had of stringing good old DAJ up and, to rip off a great movie line, go medieval on his ass. Yupp, I'm fucked up. - Sat, 15 Aug 2009 9:51pm | ||
| Mr. Horse User Info... | Tent expenses The B.C. Supreme Court last week ordered the City of Victoria to pay legal costs arising from the City’s attempt to deny people the right to sleep in public parks. Perhaps the City can deduct the bill from the $700,000-a-year retainer it pays the Staples McDannold Stewart law firm after its team failed to convince Justice Carol Ross the City was in the right. In the meantime, people continue to sleep in City parks and Monday wanted to know if public camping has spiked—as the City predicted—since Justice Ross released her decision. Speaking with City parks director Kate Friars, it doesn’t seem the City’s anticipated disaster scenario has materialized. “I’d say it’s definitely at the same levels we’ve had in the past, maybe a little bit more,” Friars says. In the wake of Ross’ decision, Friars says the City re-allocated money from its parks budget to its bylaw division, anticipating increased calls from the public and more patrols to ensure campers move along by 7 a.m. Source; Monday magazine So kiddies, We also need to consider the cost of policing and cleanup of these campers. I am not sure what the answer is here but lining the pockets of lawyers in not the it. - Mon, 17 Aug 2009 1:17pm Edited: Mon, 17 Aug 2009 4:09pm | ||
| Fableway User Info... | if DAJ didn't cost the city so much $$$, maybe there would be an answer... more unused shelter beds? I mean, ok mentally unstable, unfit to work is one thing, but how many times am I panhandled by young men (sounds dirty) who seem able to EARN A FUCKING LIVING!!! I mean, if you can set up a tent, you can flip a burger. So fuck off! Except for the severely deranged, addicted, or disabled. That's totally different. Those people need genuine aid. - Fri, 4 Dec 2009 11:57pm | ||
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