Liberty Law lawyer Zachary Al-Khatib confirmed the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service stayed a charge against pro-Palestine protest leader Wesam Cooley. “It’s heartening that the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service has acted swiftly,” said Al-Khatib in a Friday statement. “It shows me that after considering the evidence and public interest, a decision was made that this case has no merit.” .The Calgary Police Service (CPS) said on November 7 it had charged Cooley in relation to an incident over the weekend at a downtown pro-Palestine protest. READ MORE: UPDATED: Calgary police charge protest organizer with causing disturbanceOn Novembr 5 around 2 p.m., two opposing groups of protestors gathered at the Calgary Municipal Building to show support for Palestine and Israel amid the conflict in the Middle East.After consultation with the CPS hate crime coordinator, Cooley was charged with causing a disturbance and hate motivation was applied to the charge. Al-Khatib admitted charges such as these need careful consideration. This case is an example of the need for Alberta to expedite implementing charge approval, where independent Crown attorneys review files and vet proposed charges. “Otherwise, public money is wasted, members of the public are needlessly harmed, and public confidence in the justice system suffers,” he said.
