Charges stayed against campus anti-abortion group
Last Updated: Monday, November 2, 2009 | 5:00 PM MT
CBC News
An anti-abortion group is celebrating the Crown's decision to stay trespassing charges against its members for a display on the University of Calgary campus last year.
Six members of Campus Pro-Life were charged in relation to a poster display in November 2008 , which showed fetuses and compared abortion to the Holocaust, Ku Klux Klan lynchings and the genocide in Rwanda.
The accused had all pleaded not guilty. But the charges have since been stayed, said Leah Hallman, the group's president Monday in a news release.
"We are relieved by this decision on the part of the Crown prosecutor," said Hallman. "Campus Pro-Life has consistently maintained that all of our actions were in full compliance under the law."
University administrators had asked the group, which has about 30 members, to make the posters less visible, citing safety concerns. When the students refused to comply, the school issued a letter threatening legal action. Police were called in to investigate when the display went up.
Campus officials didn't want to comment on Monday, instead issuing a brief statement.
"The university remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of campus and will take some time to reflect on this development. The safety and well-being of our students, staff and faculty are paramount issues," it said.
"The organization’s statements and actions to date have made it clear that it is not interested in a discussion or debate. Rather, it is seeking publicity and using the media to advance its objectives."
Campus Pro-Life has held the display on campus every semester since 2006.
