Alberta journalist charged with vandalism says he plans a ‘vigorous defence'
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Loading... - Adeline Walker
- 02 Nov 2022
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The Edmonton journalist and activist charged with vandalism in connection with an incident he wrote about says he plans to plead not guilty.
In his first public statement since the charge was made public last week, Duncan Kinney posted a message to the Progress Report website Monday in which he says he plans to defend himself against what he suggests is retaliation for his work criticizing the work of the Edmonton Police Service.
“As many have pointed out this appears to be an attempt by the EPS to silence and discredit a critic,” he wrote.
Kinney, the primary writer behind the Progress Report, was charged earlier this month with mischief under $5,000 in connect with an incident of vandalism to the statue of a Ukrainian nationalist leader with Nazi ties back in August. “Actual Nazi” was scrawled across the bust’s base in red paint.
If found guilty, Kinney will have violated one of the cardinal rules of journalism in that he will have not just written about a news event, but created it.
On the other hand, observers have pointed to Kinney’s history of writing critically about the Edmonton police, who previously denied him access to in-person media events after Kinney says he was told he wasn’t considered media. (He and the Toronto Star are both defendants in a libel suit brought by former UCP candidate Caylan Ford.)
While Kinney says in the post that he can’t speak about the details of the case on the advice of his lawyer, he plans to “mount a vigorous defence, if it comes to that. Read More...
