Pubdate: Tue, 26 Jun 2001
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001 The Vancouver Sun
Contact:  http://www.vancouversun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Jake Rupert

A VICTORY FOR PIE-THROWERS ACROSS THE LAND

OTTAWA - Marijuana party leader Marc Boris St-Maurice says he's 
pleased the Canadian justice system respects every man's right to 
throw a cream pie in his own face -- even if a bit of it lands on the 
cheek of a Mountie.

St-Maurice, 32, of Montreal, spoke Monday after assistant Crown 
attorney Ursula Hendel withdrew a charge of assaulting a police 
officer Monday.

Hendel relented after viewing a videotape of the incident on 
Parliament Hill last Nov.25 during a marijuana legalization rally. 
"Upon reviewing the video, the Crown takes the position there is no 
prospect of conviction."

The video shows St-Maurice with a pie trying to approach a statue of 
Emily Murphy, noted women's rights advocate and anti-marijuana 
crusader who helped author prohibition of the drug in 1923.

As St-Maurice tries to approach the statue, two RCMP officers bar his 
access. When it is clear he is not going get close enough to hit the 
statue, St-Maurice nails himself directly in the face with the pie.

It should be noted that this particular pie was a baked good of 
considerable mass, and as St-Maurice hit himself, some of the cream 
glanced off and hit the left cheek of an officer standing beside him.

St-Maurice was then taken into custody.

"I absolutely did not mean to hit the officer," he said. "The RCMP 
would not let me near the statue, and I was left with a live pie. The 
only honourable thing to do at that point was disarm the pie on 
myself, which I did," said St-Maurice after the Crown withdrew the 
charges Monday.
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MAP posted-by: Josh Sutcliffe