VANCOUVER, September 16, 2002 – Today, three former University of British Columbia students will meet the Alma Mater Society (AMS) in court seeking damages for the suppression of their free speech rights. The dispute began in the fall of 1999 when the AMS condemned “the tactics of the Genocide Awareness Project” (GAP: www.abortionNO.org ), a display invited by a pro-life club called Lifeline. On November 23, 1999, three student leaders of the AMS attacked and destroyed a smaller version of the GAP display, video coverage of which was later broadcast on television. After the incident, the AMS Council decided not to seek any disciplinary action against the perpetrators or publicly repudiate the attack. Then the AMS formally censored Lifeline by banning the club from ever displaying the graphic images of the GAP within the student union building (SUB).
“The AMS is perpetrating a grave injustice against pro-life students at UBC,” said plaintiff and former President of Lifeline Stephanie Gray. “Their actions show a level of intolerance that is disturbing in a pluralistic society like Canada, especially on a university campus where the free expression of ideas is absolutely fundamental and is supposed to be upheld. Although the AMS may be a million dollar organization, we’re not going to let that intimidate us. An injustice has occurred, continues to be committed, and needs to be corrected.” The current AMS censorship resolution is very broad and even prevents the GAP images from being shown in the private meetings of pro-life clubs. The AMS has continued to enforce this policy by requiring the removal of snapshots and, only two weeks ago, preventing the showing of a documentary. In the past, the AMS went so far as to ban Lifeline from making “written mention of the GAP or its sponsor, the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform [CBR].”“It is important that a legal precedent be set to keep student societies from suppressing the free speech rights of the very people they are supposed to represent” explains plaintiff Michelle Laroya. “Other pro-life groups in Canada have experienced unfair and intolerant treatment on their campuses. We hope our case will provide a deterrent against such abuse.” The trial takes place at the BC Supreme Court, 800 Smithe Street, Vancouver, BC from Monday, September 16th to Friday, September 20th. It begins at 2 p.m. on Monday and continues from Tuesday to Friday starting daily at 10 a.m. Representing the plaintiffs Stephanie Gray, Michelle Laroya, and Athena Macapagal, is lawyer and notorious APEC protestor Craig Jones of the firm Bull, Housser, and Tupper.