Arresting impunity: Canada's law enforcement system put on trial


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May 10, 2011

Arrest Bush: From Calgary, Alberta to Surrey, British Columbia

On Monday, May 2 a coalition of activists and civil resisters marched on Surrey City Hall in an attempt to school Mayor Dianne Watts on the voluminous domestic and supranational legislation that exists pertaining to credibly accused war criminals and other violators of human rights. Mayor Dianne Watts' ill conceived invitation to George W. Bush to come to Surrey, British Columbia to attend the annual Surrey Regional Economic Summit this coming Oct. 20 stimulated the demonstration, which was organized by Mohawk activist and author Splitting the Sky.

Splitting the Sky led the procession which marched peacefully in the direction of the mayor's office chanting "Arrest George Bush! Enforce the law!" Splitting the Sky presented Mayor Watts' communications specialist Tara Foslien with documents demonstrating the correspondence between Bush's self-admitted misdeeds and the Canadian laws explicitly prohibiting such crimes. The civil resister cited domestic legislation such as the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act as examples of two legal bodies enshrined to prevent Canada from becoming a safe haven for war criminals.

Also in attendance was Professor Anthony Hall of the University of Lethbridge. Hall emphasized the need for law enforcement officials to transcend politics and implement the law equitably, regardless of the status of the offender. Hall addressed the many police officers present, telling them they will be told that "[Bush] is an 'Internationally Protected Person.' That is not true! [Bush] is a civilian. He is no longer a head of state."

The attempts to elucidate the illegitimacy of the proposed visit of Bush to British Columbia in October ought to be viewed as an extension of the citizens' mobilizations which began with Bush's controversial visit to Calgary, Alberta on Mar. 17, 2009. That visit was Bush's first visit to a foreign country without diplomatic immunity. After the failure of law enforcement officials to do their jobs and arrest the then credibly accused war criminal -- now self-confessed torturer -- Splitting the Sky courageously and selflessly attempted to breach the police lines and conduct a citizen's arrest on the former U.S. president.

During the subsequent trial in Calgary which some dubbed "The trial of Splitting the Sky versus George W. Bush," former U.S. attorney general Ramsey Clark -- Splitting the Sky's former lawyer -- and former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney flew in to the oil-patch city to participate in the proceedings. The trial culminated with Splitting the Sky being given a conditional discharge by Judge Manfred Delong allowing him to avoid immediate incarceration. Some read this comparative leniency as a tacit acknowledgement by Judge Delong that Splitting the Sky was, as he submitted, being a conscientious citizen when he attempted to uphold the rule of law by seeking to arrest Bush.

Bravo Canadians! Keep George

Bravo Canadians! Keep George Bush oot, eh?