Anthony Fisher Talks Montreal Instagram Arrest on Huffpost Live

Reason TV producer Anthony L. Fisher appeared on Huffpost Live this afternoon to discuss Montreal college student Jennifer Pawluck's arrest after she posted a photo to Instagram depicting "a wheat paste illustration of Montreal police spokesman Ian Lafreniere with a bullet wound in his forehead." 

The conversation centered around the chilling precedent of arresting someone for merely posting a pre-existing piece of art to social media, and whether that constitutes what the Montreal police have called "harrassment" and "intimidation."

Last year, Fisher produced a documentary for Reason TV on the Montreal student protests, the Quebec government's heavy-handed reaction to them, and an unusual peacemaker called "the Anarcopanda":

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

...a wheat paste illustration of Montreal police spokesman Ian Lafreniere with a bullet wound in his forehead.

Only gluten free speech is protected.

[Rights-Minimalist Autocrat]

I prefer low-carb speech.

[Blogimi Dei]

Isn't HUFFPO an accessory to a crime now?

[John]

I would love to pick on Cunuckistan, but I am not seeing how the US is much better.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

I live in Montreal. A couple of things. First off, Quebec doesn't do competition - neither does Canada preferring monopolies to run our branch plant economy. Second, there is NO QUESTION that on matters of civil rights as we understand them and freedom of expression Quebec is the worst offender on the continent.

Look up Bill 22, 101 and now the outrageous Bill 14. I'm still waiting on Reason to pick this up.

More disgusting and discriminatory a law you can't get here on this continent.

Apparently, punitive measures and suppressing one linguistic group to prop up another (in this case French Quebecois) constitutes a legitimate force of intellectualism here.

Pieces of shits nationalists and the Parti-Quebecois are.

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

Quebec's language laws are a major civil rights issue that I would love to see covered here, though admittedly Canadian coverage is not a priority.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

My own selfish perspective, feels it should be from a liberty perspective. Time and The Economist have - although peripherally. It really is a travesty what's being proposed.

[Gorilla tactics]

maudit crise d'anglais de tabarnac de chalice!

Nah just kiddin, Im from montreal as well and I hate the PQ with a fucking passion

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Ha! "Parle moi en Francais, wop, c'est le Quebec icite!" I can't tell you how many times I hear this shit.

In fact, it never ceases to amaze me how OVERTLY prejudicial, if not, racist their programs on TV and radio is. You point it out to them and they feel it's the "truth."

The mind blows at how hard they work at justifying their garbage.

The PQ: Give them spoons and banjos already.

Maudit argent et ethniques!

They never really disowned that comment by the way.

[GozWa]

"I think the person behind the artwork should be in my place," Pawluck said. "All I did was take a photo."

Oh yeah - that's much better.

[John Galt]

They sure seem in a hurry to throw each other under the bus.

[The Late P Brooks]

"a wheat paste illustration of Montreal police spokesman Ian Lafreniere with a bullet wound in his forehead."

?

[John Galt]

Wheatpaste is a super cheap glue used to slap up posters and such on walls, fences, light poles, etc.

[The Late P Brooks]

I can see Bok defending himself in court.

"Oh, come on! That could be anybody!"

[John Galt]

Canadians, it's difficult to believe we share a common border when taking into consideration how little value so many of them place on individual liberty.

[rts]

Canadian here. Not just that so few value liberty, but how many of my, er, "countrymen" also smugly believe we're better off for it.

Eh.

[John Galt]

I live on the British Columbia/Alberta/USA border and am very impressed with most of my neighbors to the north. Can't count the times they've told me that left up to them they'd annex Western Canada to the USA. In fact they've even tried to do so, and with about as much success as secession movement here.

Just as in the US there seems to be a cultural war between the liberty lovers vs the statist entitlement lovers up there. It's all a sad state for the world.

What were you saying? Not sure I comprehend.

[MP]

Not sure I comprehend.

I'm guessing rts is saying that Canucks proudly embrace the "stan" in Canuckistan.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

It's not even a discussion up here. When you bring up notions of 'individual liberty' it's met with blank stares.

[MP]

Listening to NPR last night with a segment on 42, and some Canuck called in with a degree of holier than thou smugness regarding Canadian acceptance of Jackie R. that I yelled at my radio, punched it, and broke the button which I had pre-set to NPR.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

No shit. We do love to overplay the JR card. Like the fucking War of 1812. Canadian smugness is rooted in 'we're not American' insecurities.

[Gorilla tactics]

Which sucks because we are so worried about becoming "American" that even when there is a good American Idea, we dont go along with it; Gun rights are completely out of the question for instance...completely

[John Galt]

Had a button "pre-set to NPR." Poor fellow.

[Gorilla tactics]

Canada is like California with shittier weather...smug, sanctimonious asswipes.

[21044]

"Freedom of speech is an American concept, so I don't give it any value... It's not my job to give value to an American concept."

About halfway down: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C.....ontroversy

[Rufus J. Firefly]

That's ugly.

Real ugly.

With a twist of misplace Canadian arrogance. Problem is, Canadians actually believe we've struck a "moderate" line with freedom of speech.

I can only face palm each time I hear that.

Scott really is a dick.

[jesse.in.mb]

I distinctly remember at least one Canadian leader freaking out because Canadian children watching American TV believed they had Miranda rights.