Mission7 pastor Derek Reimer was let out on bail after he was arrested a third time for protesting drag queen story times in Calgary. .“Reimer broke his bail conditions,” said Crown attorney Matt Dalidowicz at the Friday hearing. .“He knew of his bail conditions, but still chose to break them.”.Dalidowicz said Reimer engaged in criminal harassment by bothering a library manager. .Reimer was taken into custody for demonstrating against a drag queen story hour near a Calgary Public Library (CPL) location on April 4. .READ MORE: WATCH: Calgary pastor arrested for third time for protesting drag event.Dalidowicz said on April 28 Reimer should stay in jail for disrupting drag events because he is committed to violating his bail conditions. .READ MORE: Crown requests Calgary pastor stay in jail.“In doing so, he squandered any chance at balance, and it’s on him why he ought to be given yet another opportunity to stand in front of the justice and promise to do things with his fingers crossed behind his back,” he said. .“The Crown suggests that the accused is unable to establish any opportunity to be released.” .Dalidowicz said Reimer was arrested because he was protesting too close to the library. He added his voice was amplified over a loud speaker and was making hateful comments about homosexuality. .The Crown attorney went on to say people cannot control their homosexuality. He compared it to saying a person does not hate black people but objects to their skin colour. .Provincial Court of Alberta Justice Joshua Hawkes stopped him and said the charges which have been laid do not relate to the content. .Dalidowicz said the video of Reimer posted online of him harassing the manager has affected her life. .He acknowledged people have to look at the harassment to her and his previous breaches. It seems like he is incapable of identifying breaches. .Reimer’s lawyer Ben Allison said it would have been safe for him to stay home and not to talk to anyone about sexual minorities or drag events. .“Derek chose not to play safe by staying home but attempted to play safe by protesting however he could around his conditions,” said Allison. .“From his perspective, he only had to worry about the distance and not words he was using and how he was coming across.”.Allison said he “had no intention of violating any court conditions.”.He presented new bail conditions to Hawkes which would allow him to engage in peaceful protests how he wanted to. .Hawkes said the difficulty for him in this case is he has to reconcile how to protect sexual minorities from discrimination while allowing the accused to speak about his religious beliefs. He rejected the proposed bail conditions because they were too broad. .Dalidowicz suggested putting Reimer on house arrest. This would exclude when he does his street outreach work. .Allison responded by saying this would not work because he has unusual times related to his duties. .An agreement was reached to let him go if he does not go to any CPL location or contact the managers. .Hawkes concluded by saying if Reimer breaches his conditions again, he “will have gone to the end of his patience.” .“I have already bent enough for him,” he said.
