Criminal mischief charges against three protesters accused of blocking the B.C. premier’s driveway last year have been resolved, after the trio agreed to enter into common law peace bonds and stay away from John Horgan’s home for 24 months.
Once 60-year-old Regine Monika Klein, 69-year-old Mark William Nykanen, and 66-year-old Howard Gerard Breen signed the $500 peace bonds last August and September, the BC Prosecution Service said the charges against them were stayed.
Klein, Nykanen and Breen must abide by seven conditions including no contact or communication with Eleanor or John Horgan except through emails or writing solely to engage in peaceful political protest or political commentary, staying away from the Horgans, and not going within 100 metres of their home in Langford or anywhere they attend school, work or worship.
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The group is permitted to attend the Victoria legislature or any public place “that is the workplace of John Horgan” but only to engage in peaceful political protest or political commentary.
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Klein, Nykanen and Breen were each originally charged with criminal mischief under $5,000 after a small group of protesters tried to block Horgan’s home outside Victoria on Feb. 18, 2020, ahead of the release of the government’s budget.
The trio was arrested after police said they responded to a report of individuals “disturbing the premier’s family by banging on his door stating they were going to make a citizen’s arrest of the premier.”
Officers said they arrived to find the group blocking access to the driveway.
The protesters were with Extinction Rebellion Vancouver Island, an environmental group that had planned to disrupt the release of the NDP government’s budget later that day.
After setting up a safety zone, RCMP warned the group they would be arrested if they did not leave the premier’s home. Police said all but three refused to leave an “exclusion zone” and were arrested.
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