LaBarbera, Whatcott Plead Not Guilty to Canadian ‘Mischief’ Charge Stemming from University of Regina Protest

AFTAH President Peter LaBarbera being hand-cuffed and arrested April 14 after standing up against abortion and homosexual “marriage” at the University of Regina. LaBarbera and Canadian pro-family activist Bill Whatcott have pleaded not guilty to the charge of “mischief” following their peaceful protest at the university.

Folks, my friend Bill Whatcott and I have entered a Not Guilty plea to the charge of “mischief” leveled against us at the instigation of left-leaning University of Regina officials who didn’t like our pro-life and anti-homosexual-agenda viewpoint being aired at their campus. Bill and I were arrested and jailed April 14, 2014 after merely standing up for life and traditional marriage at the university in a peaceful and civil protest. The arrest came just days after this writer was first denied entry into Canada–and then allowed in after appeal–to give a presentation as an invited speaker at a Saskatchewan pro-life event. Here is a report on our not guilty plea in the Regina Leader-Post. There are additional links to other aspects of the Canada story at the Leader-Post website. — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH

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REGINA — Two anti-gay advocates entered not guilty pleas on Monday regarding an incident on the University of Regina campus in April.

The not guilty pleas for mischief for Bill Whatcott and Peter LaBarbera were entered by Weyburn lawyer Michael Weger. The matter is scheduled to be back in Regina Provincial Court on June 23 to set a trial date.

Whatcott and LaBarbera were arrested on April 14 after refusing to leave the U of R campus when ordered to do so by security and the Regina Police Service.

Whatcott and LaBarbera set up an anti-abortion display on campus and handed out anti-LGBT literature, deemed by university officials as potentially harmful to members of the university community.

The incident came days after LaBarbera, head of the organization Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, spoke in Weyburn at the Saskatchewan Pro-Life convention.

LaBarbera was initially denied access to Canada over concerns of spreading hate speech, but won an appeal and agreed to leave Saskatchewan by April 17.

Whatcott has been in trouble before for distributing anti-homosexual literature. In 2005, the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission ruled he was guilty of inciting hatred against homosexuals in pamphlets he distributed to homes in Regina and Saskatoon in 2001 and 2002.

On Feb. 27, 2013, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the SHRC’s decision.

tmceachern@leaderpost.com