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Thursday July 8, 2010


Stay Away from Abortion Clinics?: “No Way” Says Jailed Pro-Lifer to Release Condition

By Thaddeus M. Baklinski

TORONTO, July 8, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Mary Wagner, the B.C. pro-lifer incarcerated at Vanier women’s jail since her March 30th arrest, has refused a court demand to stay away from the abortuary where she offered sidewalk counseling, as a condition of her release.

Wagner’s friend and supporter John Bulsza told LifeSiteNews (LSN) that presiding Judge Clemens said, during a hearing on July 7 at the College Park courthouse, that Mary had served enough time in jail, but then imposed three conditions on her release.

The first condition was bail of $500, the second was to be on good behavior, and the third was not to be on the sidewalk in front the Choice in Health abortion facility, or to go into the building.

On Tuesday, March 30, during Holy Week, Mary went to witness to life at the Choice in Health abortuary, where she said she was able to counsel women, abortion workers, and police for nearly 45 minutes before she was carried away by officers.

She was subsequently put into a police car and taken to the 11th Division Toronto Police Station where she was locked in a cell. She was not released because she wouldn’t agree to the conditions of her release that stipulated staying away from abortion facilities.

Mr. Bulsza said that crown prosecutors at Wednesday’s hearing had originally asked Judge Clemens to impose a 500-meter bubble zone, which the judge frowned upon, citing a possible challenge to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“One could surmise that limiting Mary’s freedom of speech, especially on the sidewalk, could set a dangerous precedent for limiting all pro-lifers’ freedoms of speech on public property, especially against such a heinous act as abortion,” Mr. Bulsza remarked.

“Mary, who humbly sat in the prisoner’s box, herself spoke out in the end, after a client-lawyer consultation, and told the judge she could not abide by the third condition because it was contrary to her conscience,” Bulsza related.

Mary is now locked up until her next hearing, in about two and a half months, as a pro-life prisoner of conscience at the Vanier Women’s Detention Center.

This is the same location where Canadian pro-life heroine Linda Gibbons is being held for an indeterminate length of time on similar charges. Linda has served over 500 consecutive days in prison during the latest of her many lengthy imprisonments over the past fifteen years.

Mary Wagner and Linda Gibbons, both of whom very much welcome mail and two prison visits a week (the limit they are each allowed with max. 2 persons per visit) can be reached at the following address:

The address is:

Vanier Centre for Women

665 Martin St.

Milton Ontario

L9T 5E6

Visitors much call the prison at least 48 hours in advance and show up at least 15 minutes before the visit.

Call 905-876-8300

See previous LSN coverage:

Former Postulant in French Convent Arrested after Entering Toronto Abortion Clinics to Witness to Life

https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/apr/10041314.html

Pro-Life Activist Mary Wagner Arrested – As Innocent Bystander

https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2000/oct/00102403.html

For numerous past LifeSiteNews reports on Linda Gibbons see:

https://www.lifesitenews.com/search/index.html?q=Linda+Gibbons&sa=Go

See Linda Gibbons page

https://www.lifesitenews.com/gibbons/

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