MONTREAL – Former student leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois has confirmed that he will appeal the guilty verdict.
He reacted to the judgement Friday morning, after a Quebec judge ruled Thursday that Nadeau-Dubois was guilty of contempt of court.
“I’m not an advocate of anarchy,” he told reporters.
“This verdict sets a dangerous precedent . . . people are afraid to speak out.”
He is asking the public for financial help in launching the appeal.
Nadeau-Dubois was charged in a case involving Jean-François Morasse, a student at Laval University who obtained an injunction to attend class during the student protests against Bill 78 in the spring.
Lawyers for Morasse argued that Nadeau-Dubois urged striking students not to respect a court order during an interview aired on Radio-Canada on May 13, 2012.
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Nadeau-Dubois’ lawyer, Giuseppe Sciortino, said that there was no proof beyond a reasonable doubt that his client had knowledge of the injunction before making his statement.
The lawyer for Morasse, Mr. Maxime Roy, argued that Nadeau-Dubois was aware of the content of the judge’s injunction.
Nadeau-Dubois could be liable for a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment up to one year.
Sentencing arguments are scheduled to take place November 9.
On Thursday night, about 200 people marched peacefully in downtown Montreal to protest the guilty verdict.
Police dispersed the crowd at 10 p.m. after the march was declared illegal.
Many took to social media to express their outrage or pleasure at hearing about the verdict. Take a look at some of the reaction here.
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