CANADA DETAINS PRO-FAMILY LEADER PRIOR TO SPEECH, May Bar Him or Jail Him Today
BREAKING: US pro-family activist detained by Canadian customs for alleged violation of 'hate' law
Lifesite news reports
Update 04/11 1:20pm: Lisa White, a spokeswoman for the Canada Border Services Agency told LifeSiteNews.com, "What I can say is very limited. Essentially, because of the Privacy Act, the CBSA cannot confirm or deny whether any one person has sought entry into Canada." She said LaBarbera's next avenue for appeal would be the federal court.
REGINA, Saskatchewan, (Canada) April 11, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A prominent U.S. pro-family activist was detained by the Canadian Border Services Agency Thursday for alleged violations of Canada's "hate propaganda" law.
Peter LaBarbera
Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth about Homosexuality, had flown into Regina International Airport to speak at the Saskatchewan Pro-Life Association provincial conference this weekend
LaBarbera had been targeted by a makeshift group known as "Intolerance Free Weyburn," which pressured the government to deny him access to the country. LaBarbera believes he was flagged by customs as a result.
LaBarbera provided LifeSiteNews with a formal document issued by CBSA agent Darren Banick that cites section 319(1) of Canada's Criminal Code and says Banick believed LaBarbera "may commit acts which would be against the Criminal Code of Canada."
Section 319(1) of Canada's Criminal Code bars "public incitement of hatred & against any identifiable group where such incitement is likely to lead to a breach of the peace." Breaching the law carries a punishment of up to two years imprisonment.
He was allowed to spend the night in Saskatchewan and will appeal the decision to Banick's supervisor, Penelope Ulmer, at a hearing today at noon Central Standard Time.
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Peter Labarbera of Americans for truth posted on his website:
After questioning me about the purpose of my scheduled presentation at the SPLA event; rifling through my luggage, which contained numerous books and literature related to homosexuality (pro and con); examining the contents of my laptop and my cell phone; playing a DVD of my speech Wednesday at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio; and critically viewing AFTAH's website-a preliminary decision was made to deny my entrance into Canada on the basis that my speech at the SPLA would violate Canada's "Hate Propaganda" law (essentially the potential for "public incitement of hatred" against a group of people based on their "sexual orientation"). The Orwellian experience at Customs dragged on for more than three hours as a formal document was issued outlining my denial of entry under Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (citing the Hate Propaganda code).
Finally, after 1:00 A.M., I was released pending my appeal of the decision today (Friday). My passport was seized until I arrive back at Customs today at noon for my appeal before a "Minister's Delegate Review."- Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH]