Hate Pastor Found Guilty In Trucker Blockade Case

May 2, 2023 Christianists, Extremists

The CBC reports:

Calgary pastor Artur Pawlowski is guilty of mischief for encouraging truckers to continue blocking the Canada-U.S. border crossing during a 2022 protest that lasted more than two weeks, a Lethbridge judge has ruled. “Mr. Pawlowski intended to incite the audience to continue the blockade — intended to incite protesters to commit mischief,” said Justice Gordon Krinke in delivering his decision on Tuesday afternoon.

Pawlowski was also charged criminally under Alberta’s Critical Infrastructure Defence Act (CIDA) for remarks during a 20-minute speech to protesters in Coutts. Krinke found Pawlowski “counselled other persons to interfere with the use of Highway 4 in a manner which rendered it useless.” However, he reserved issuing a ruling on the charge of willfully damaging or destroying essential infrastructure until the defence’s constitutional challenge of CIDA has been dealt with.

CTV News has a related story:

A spokesperson for the CBC says no lawsuit has been filed against the public broadcaster on behalf of [Alberta Premier] Danielle Smith or the UCP, despite a deadline passing Friday.  The threat surrounded a CBC story headlined “Danielle Smith discussed COVID charges ‘almost weekly’ with justice officials, according to leaked call.” Smith has said her party would pay for the lawsuit but refused to say anything about the situation during her campaign launch in Calgary Monday morning.

The dispute came after the CBC reported on an 11-minute phone call that Smith had with controversial street pastor Artur Pawlowski, who is facing criminal charges related to a COVID-19 border blockade in Coutts, Alta. Smith is heard on video offering to make inquiries on Pawlowski’s behalf, revealing to him internal government arguments over case direction and telling him that the charges against him are rooted in political bias.

“Committing mischief” appears to be Canadian legal speak for “inciting violence against Mounties.” It doesn’t appear that a date has been set for Pawlowski’s sentencing.

Of note, last month Pawlowski’s son was jailed on charges related to menacing multiple drag events.

The elder Pawlowski has become a folk hero to the far-right, earning him multiple appearances on Fox News and praise from the likes of Tony Perkins and Franklin Graham.

Pawloski has appeared on JMG several times for COVID-related arrests. During his arrest last year for harassing public health officials, he called police officers “Nazis.”

Pawlowski is fond of blaming natural disasters on God’s anger over LGBTQ civil rights, once telling the families of flood victims that the fatal waters were God’s tears over Canada’s acceptance of homosexuality.

He first appeared on JMG way back in 2010 when Canada revoked his then-church’s tax-exempt status for violating laws on political activities by churches.



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