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Trial of "Britannia 5" ends, clown acquitted
March 25, 2004

The lengthy criminal trial of five people charged after a disturbance at Britannia Community Centre in October of 2002 has finally ended. Rev. George Feenstra and several others were charged with assaulting police officers, obstructing police officers, causing a disturbance and being members of an unlawful assembly after a planned visit to the centre by Premier Gordon Campbell was called off.

According to the evidence at trial, Rev. Feenstra was dressed up as a clown when he was grabbed by the police, handcuffed, and thrust against a wall. He was strip-searched and jailed for about 30 hours. The Crown called dozens of police officers from the Vancouver Police Department as witnesses. After nineteen days of trial, Rev. Feenstra was acquitted of all charges. Judge Smyth is expected to render a verdict in the cases of the remaining four accused on June 24, 2004.