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[News Thetan]

Woman guilty of assault - TheChronicleHerald.ca
6 May 2010, 4:56 am
By CLARE MELLOR Staff Reporter
Thu. May 6 - 4:53 AM

An assault against a masked demonstrator protesting against the Church of Scientology has landed a Halifax woman in legal trouble.

Nicole Cassandra Andersen, a 40-year-old personal-care worker, pleaded guilty in Halifax on Tuesday to assault for punching the protester in the face near the Scientology Life Improvement Center on Dutch Village Road on Sept. 19.

Click here to watch the protest and the assault http://youtube.com/watch?v=0px3oJq-u28

She will return to court July 20 for sentencing.

Andersen has told police that she has no a connection to the Church of Scientology.

And a spokeswoman for the Church of Scientology said Wednesday that Andersen is not a member of the church in Halifax and does not have any affiliation with it.

"The answer is no," said Pat Felske, a Church of Scientology spokeswoman in Toronto.

"As a matter of fact, when the incident occurred, no one was at the church at all," Felske said Wednesday

Crown attorney Jennifer Maclellan said Wednesday she can’t talk about the case until the facts are read into the court record at sentencing.

However, the anti-Church of Scientology demonstrators, who captured the assault on video, posted some footage of the incident on YouTube on Wednesday night following Andersen’s guilty plea.

The video, which had over 1,200 views by midday, shows a woman shouting at protesters and punching one wearing a mask near the Scientology Life Improvement Centre.

The victim, Chris Salsman, said the punch left him with neck pain for a day and a small scar beneath his eye.

"I am relieved that she has pleaded guilty," he said in an interview Wednesday.

"I didn’t want this to drag out any longer."

Salsman is a member of the global online movement called Anonymous, which holds protests against the Church of Scientology around the world.

In Halifax, small protests, typically involving five to 10 people, are held about once a month across the street from Church of Scientology’s centre on Dutch Village Road, he said.

Protesters, some of whom are former Church of Scientology members, wear masks to protect their identities because of a fear of reprisal, said Salsman.

A Facebook group called Get Scientology out of Halifax also exists, with about 365 members, said Salsman.

He said he has no connection to the Church of Scientology. He also said all the protests in Halifax are carried out peacefully.

Although no link has been found between the Church of Scientology and his assault, Salsman said he thinks it is important that the public is aware of the incident. He said he shed his anonymity because he believes the church is already aware of who he is.

Neither Andersen nor her lawyer, Peter Dostal, could be reached for comment Wednesday.

In the United States, there have been several convictions of Anonymous members for cyber attacks and harassment of members of the Church of Scientology, Felske said.

"We don’t believe in violence. Our creed is a civilization without insanity, without criminality and without war."

(cmellor@herald.ca)

found at http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1180909.html

[Ultrapoet]

"We don’t believe in violence. Our creed is a civilization without insanity, without criminality and without war."

Clearly they don't believe in violence because with each report of David Miscavige beating the crap out of people, the official response is "I don't believe it."

[SocialTransparency]

It is my understanding, that this bizzaro incident was not scientology related i.e the woman in question was not a member of the so called church-o-scientology.

[mefree]

Her membership or non-membership is in question.

Her desire to have the protester remove his mask, the tautological use of the word "hate" and her attempts to take cell-phone pix are highly suspicious.

Oh yeah, and then there was the punch in the face. Just sayin.

[SocialTransparency]

Her membership or non-membership is in question.

Her desire to have the protester remove his mask, the tautological use of the word "hate" and her attempts to take cell-phone pix are highly suspicious.

Oh yeah, and then there was the punch in the face. Just sayin.

 Same thing occurred across the southern United States with the Ku Klux Klan (Hate group). Interesting parallels here. Though I do not agree with this women's actions and agree with the Halifax judicial findings, public perception of an individual hiding his/her face can and will be interpreted far differently than what the mask wearer envisioned.

 If one holds dear to his or her ideals, then one should be proud of who they are. When one steps into an arena such as protesting against scientology, one should know what to expect and act accordingly. Scientology is NOT coming after you. Once one comes to terms with this statement, then one removes all fear of one's foe. After 2 years of activist, I would hope others see this also.

[Stutroup]

There's actually some claim that her connection to Scientology is confirmed, at least as an ex.  Documents are supposedly on their way; I'm keeping an eye on it.

[Lorelei]

Whether she is or is not a Scientologist, her hair-trigger temper and willingness to physically assault someone on a public sidewalk makes me feel serious concern for her elderly patients, as she is supposedly employed as a homecare nurse. It is possible that the wheelchair-bound person she dragged into court with her was presented before the judge to gain sympathy and a lighter reprimand / sentence / punishment.

At the very least, someone attacking another person on the street over a difference in opinion needs anger counselling from a trained therapist, and probation to monitor her for future lapses and poor impulse control issues.

[mefree]

^^^
Trufax

[mefree]

Discharge for woman who hit protester
Victim was part of anti-Church of Scientology demonstration
By STEVE BRUCE Court Reporter
Wed, Jul 21 - 5:03 AM

A woman who got into an argument with protesters near a Church of Scientology building in Halifax and punched one of them in the face was given a conditional discharge Tuesday.

Nicole Cassandra Andersen’s behaviour on Sept. 19, 2009, was "entirely inappropriate," Judge Marc Chisholm said in Halifax provincial court during her sentencing hearing on a charge of assault.

"The protesters were engaging in appropriate and lawful protest of an organization in a manner that is well within their rights as citizens," Chisholm said.

"It was Ms. Andersen’s responsibility that this matter escalated, resulting in an assault."

more at http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1192920.html

[ethercat]

A woman who got into an argument with protesters near a Church of Scientology building in Halifax and punched one of them in the face was given a conditional discharge Tuesday.

Nicole Cassandra Andersen’s behaviour on Sept. 19, 2009, was "entirely inappropriate," Judge Marc Chisholm said in Halifax provincial court during her sentencing hearing on a charge of assault.

"The protesters were engaging in appropriate and lawful protest of an organization in a manner that is well within their rights as citizens," Chisholm said.

"It was Ms. Andersen’s responsibility that this matter escalated, resulting in an assault."

But the judge said he was satisfied that a conditional discharge, which would allow Andersen to avoid having a criminal record for violence and to stay employed as a personal-care worker, would not be contrary to the public interest.

He placed the 40-year-old Halifax woman on probation for a year, with conditions that she not have any contact with victim Chris Salsman or possess any weapons. She also has to receive counselling for mental health and anger management, if directed to do so by her probation supervisor.

Masked protesters holding a banner were demonstrating across the street from the Scientology Life Improvement Centre on Dutch Village Road at about 12:30 p.m. when Andersen walked up and started shouting and cursing at them. She told them they were promoting hatred and were cowards for not showing their faces.

Andersen thrust her fingers toward Salsman’s face. He responded by putting his hand near her face.

She then struck Salsman twice. The second blow caused a small cut near his right eye.

Andersen called 911 right away to report herself and waited at the scene until Halifax Regional Police arrived.

Defence lawyer Peter Dostal said his client "was having a very difficult day" on Sept. 19 because of her mental health issues.

I wonder if someone with this type of mental health issues should really be assisted by a judge in keeping a career as a personal-care worker...

After sitting down on the prisoners bench, Andersen asked if she could say one more thing.

"I am not a Scientologist," she said. "Not that I have anything against anyone who chooses to do anything with their lives, but I am not, and it had nothing to do with that moment."

Hmmm...

[mefree]

I wonder if someone with this type of mental health issues should really be assisted by a judge in keeping a career as a personal-care worker...

That is something I don't understand either, along with this:

She also has to receive counselling for mental health and anger management, if directed to do so by her probation supervisor.

Why leave counseling up to the discretion of the probation officer?

Baffling.

[Lorelei]

Love the spin on "I'm not a Scientologist, but...."

Haven't heard THAT one before.