Derek Reimer is escorted away from an all-ages drag brunch at the Rec Room in January. He was later arrested and charged with hate-motivated crimes after disrupting a storytime events in February and March 2023.
The Calgary pastor who used “hateful vitriol” at children’s library events should spend a year in jail for harassing a librarian, argued the prosecution Thursday. The Calgary pastor who used "hateful vitriol" at children's library events should spend a year in jail for harassing a librarian, argued the prosecution Thursday.
Mackenzie painted his client as a man who was "born again" and has devoted himself to public service after living a life of crime and violence more than a decade ago. On March 27, 2023, Reimer attended the Saddletowne library and asked to speak with the manager. He proceeded to record their conversation, during which he again made derogatory comments about drag queens.Later that day, he posted the video to Facebook, encouraging his followers to contact the manager to express their "disgust."
"It continues to visit significant harm upon the victim," said Dalidowicz who then played the video for the court. "You know what the librarian said in her testimony? The prosecutor asked her 'how did Derek's conduct make you feel?' She said it made her feel 'upset.'""You can watch the video of the interaction, you can be the judge," Mackenzie urged viewers.
In this case, said Mackenzie, the victim closed her LinkedIn account, tightened up her Facebook privacy settings and "looked over her shoulder at work."The defence lawyer acknowledged his client's criminal past and record for crimes of violence including aggravated assault and animal abuse but explained that he is no longer the same person.
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