Woman arrested for posting pic of graffiti on Instagram

[Joe Shlabotnik]

Jennifer Pawluck Arrested For Instagram Photo Of Ian Lafreniere Graffiti

A 20-year-old Montreal woman was surprised when police showed up at her home to arrest her for an Instagram photo she took of graffiti showing Montreal police spokesperson Ian Lafreniere with a bullet in his head.

"Many of my friends do not like the police," Pawluck told the Huffington Post Québec, in French. "I thought it would be funny to put the picture on Instagram. I do not even know who he is, Ian Lafreniere."

Pawluck was a familiar face during last year's tuition protests by Quebec students. She was arrested three times during mass roundups, but says she has never been arrested under the Criminal Code before.

"I'm not a violent person," she said. "I did not want to hurt anyone. "

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/04/03/jennifer-pawluck-arrested-instagram-graffiti-police_n_3010400.html

[MADem]

1. Wow, so much for "liberal" Canada....

After all the talk here about how much fairer the system of government is up there, this is a kick in the teeth--being arrested for taking a photo? And then trying to say that a photo of a piece of street art that the photographer didn't create is somehow "communicating a threat?"

Very odd!!! This whole thing sounds very "police state-ish" to me--this is some serious "manufactured outrage" that seems like it's targeting a person for reasons other than the stated charges:

The police arrived at her home Wednesday morning with a warrant accusing her of uttering threats to the well-known spokesman for the City of Montreal Police Department (SPVM). She was brought to the police station and detained for nearly four hours, she said. The SPVM had not returned calls from Huffington Post Québec at the time of publication.

The arrest warrant alleges that Pawluck acted with intent to harass Lafreniere and gave him reason to fear for his safety.

While she awaits her trial date, Pawluck must not come within one kilometre of SPVM headquarters or Lafreniere's home.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/04/03/jennifer-pawluck-arrested-instagram-graffiti-police_n_3010400.html?just_reloaded=1

All that...for taking a picture of some rather dramatic street art that she did not create?

Watch what you say, watch what you do....