Adam Huber No Show for Court

Looks like there is another warrant for Adam Huber's arrest. He didn't show up for court last week, so a judge issued a bench warrant. They scheduled again Oct 8th in Room 222 at the Courtenay Law Courts.

36042-1	HUBER, ADAM David	1	Courtenay Law Courts	24-Sep-2009 09:00 AM	216	AHR	WI
36042-1	RODGERS, ROBERT William Roy	1	Courtenay Law Courts	24-Sep-2009 09:00 AM	216	AHR	SBD
36042-1	WHITE, DAVID Samuel	1	Courtenay Law Courts	24-Sep-2009 09:00 AM	216	AHR	SBD

September Court Date

The 3 accused will appear in court September 10th, 2009 at 9am for an arrangement hearing. There, charges will be read out by the judge.

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Location: Courtenay Law Courts
Room: 216

Reason: AHR

Statute: S. 266 C.C.C. Assault with a Weapon or Assault Causing Bodily Harm

Offence Date: 20-Sept-2009

Document: 36042-1

Adam Huber Caught using Homophobic Language

Vancouver Sun: Trio involved in assault have first court appearance

None of the men spoke in court, but Huber shouted homophobic slurs at a CHEK News television reporter who chased he and White for eight blocks after leaving the courthouse

http://www.vancouversun.com/Trio+involved+assault+have+first+court+appearance/1859597/story.html

Trio to Appear in Court Today

Location: Courtenay Law Courts
Room: 216

Reason: OBC

Statute: S. 266 C.C.C. Assault with a Weapon or Assault Causing Bodily Harm

Offence Date: 03-Jul-2009

Document: 36042-1

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We'll see what happens after today

2nd Court Appearance Scheduled for Aug 20th

The three had their first court apperence July 31th. It is unknown what the result of the apperance was. According to Court Services Online, the three men will be back in court for August 20th.

Just recently, Adam Huber appeared in court for another, unrelated charged on July 15th, 2009.

Hate crime accused say they feel threatened

Three Courtenay, B.C. men who face assault charges in connection with an allegedly racially motivated fight that showed up on YouTube say they are being victimized.

The three made their first court appearances Thursday in Courtenay, about 220 kilometres north of Victoria, in connection with a July 3 attack on Jay Phillips, 38.

The men — David Samuel White, 19, Adam David Huber, 24, and Robert William Rodgers, 25 — told CBC News following the appearance that they believe the incident has been blown out of proportion and that they are now feeling threatened.

They provided no details of any threats.

Phillips, who is black, was punched and kicked in a fast-food restaurant parking lot in the Vancouver Island city.

Jay Phillips talks with CBC News about the attack he suffered in Courtenay, B.C., on July 3. (CBC)
A video of the brawl appeared on YouTube within days. It is not known who shot the video and posted it to the website.

Each of the men was released on his own recognizance after charges were laid earlier this month, and they won't enter pleas until their next appearance, on Aug. 20.

Phillips, who suffered cuts and bruised ribs, alleged the men shouted racial epithets and threatened him and his family with violence during the fight.

RCMP Const. Tammy Douglas said there are indications the attack was racially motivated and the Mounties have asked their hate crime team to look into it.

It is, however, being treated as an isolated incident and will not be labelled a hate crime until all the evidence is in, Douglas said.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/07/30/bc-courtenay-assault-racial.html

Courtenay Sets Example for Country

Richmond Review: Canada is in an excellent position to foster harmony

Most recently, a 38-year-young black person, Jay Phillips, was attacked by three Caucasian youth. This happened (without any provocation from the victim) in broad daylight in Vancouver Island community of Courtenay. This ugly incident was viewed on YouTube worldwide. To their credit, the residents of Courtenay organized a big rally there and expressed their disgust and rejection of such behaviour. They sent a strong message against racism and hate crime.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/opinion/letters/51516132.html

City hits back with Protocol alternative

Comox Valley Echo: Mayor wins narrow support for new statement of values

Last night Phelps persuaded a majority of his council to support a 'statement of community values' he had prepared in a bid to show they supported the spirit of the protocol if not the precise wording.

He also hoped the Community Justice Centre - which promoted the protocol initiative - was still open to minor changes to their own wording that would make it acceptable to Courtenay.

And he offered to help compile a more detailed protocol document that would set out a clear, easy-to-understand and step-by-step action program that could be implemented when an incident took place.

His new statement was supported by three councillors - Jon Ambler, Murray Presley and Larry Jangula - but opposed by Ronna-Rae Leonard and Manno Theos.

http://www.canada.com/City+hits+back+with+Protocol+alternative/1813714/story.html

Police Say 3 Men Not Involved in Second Attack

Looks like the RCMP believes that they were only involved in the first attack.

Comox Valley Record: No additional charges for YouTube threesome

Comox Valley RCMP say now that the three men charged were not involved in that fight, and that there was no connection between the two incidents. Comox Valley RCMP were unavailable to comment why the warrants were issued or to answer any further questions about the second assault.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_north/comoxvalleyrecord/news/50983497.html

More Reports of Attacks at Courtenay McDonalds

I think they need a camera at the McDonalds

Comox Valley Echo: Just Regular Jackasses

Last Friday after a few drinks and dancing at a local bar my friends and I had our designated driver hit the Courtenay McDonalds drive thru where we had the pleasure of watching an orange-haired male in a plaid coat beat another kid down to the ground. Once he had him down he proceeded to kick his head into the side of the concrete building about twenty times. In front of a bunch of other kids, some who were presumably friends of the victim and who pretty much all did NOTHING?

http://www.canada.com/Just+Regular+Jackasses/1790627/story.html

Reasoning and Motive of Second Attack Could be a Ploy to Disguise Hate Attack

I believe the second attack was premeditated in the 3.5 hours after the attack on Jay Phillips. A plan was devised to make it appear that they were not racist to police by attacking a white teenaged boy.

After the attack the must have known they did something really bad. Why else would one of the men try to cover up the license plate of the truck while leaving the scene of the crime.

A-News / CTV Interviews Mother of Victim of Second Courtenay Hate Attack

More is now being reported:

• 3.5 Hours later (approx 11:30pm) a junior-high-aged child was assaulted by a group of men where an unidentified 19-year-old man taunted the boy into a fight. Earlier reports mentioned the 3 men were participants.
  
  
• The attack happened in the parking lot of the same McDonalds that was across the street from the attack on Jay Phillps.

• After the fight, one of the men in the group said that the “tight skater pants” were associated with n****ers and that they were actually “n****er killers.”
  
  
• They were released on condition to appear in court last week, but now are wanted under an unendorsed warrant due to this second attack coming to light. This means they’ll be under arrest until their court date.

Unknowns:

1. Not known if they are currently in custody under new warrant
2. Not known who else was involved in the second attack
3. Not known what happened in the 3.5 hours between the two attacks.
   
   

Theories on why another attack was formulated for 3.5 hours later:

1. Wanted to call Phillips out for another fight by using the N-word so close to the scene of the first attack.
   
   
2. Wanted to make it seem like they're not racist by attacking someone the same race as them. Since they shouted the N-word eariler during the attack of a black man, they wanted to let the RCMP know that they can use the N-word in a non-racial way -- by attacking a white child and using the N-word.
   
   
3. Wanted to spread the blame on more guys by inviting more people to come watch a second attack. OR wanted more witnesses to point (2) above.

The mother of the child victimized in the second attack told A-News:

In the interview with A-News, the mother said, "He's a skater so he wears the tight jeans and he was told he shouldn't wear jeans like that because, quote, 'that's how niggers wear their pants', so he looked like a nigger, that they hated niggers, they were actually nigger killers." Then the reporter said that one person made reference to the attack on Jay Phillips 3.5 hours earlier that evening.

"I'm saying then why three hours later were you in the parking lot of the McDonald's saying, bragging once again about the fight and going on about being nigger killers?" the mother said.

Watching the interview, I thought the mother was inelegant at expressing herself, which made me question the sincerity of everything she was claiming.

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*UPDATE 14.7.2009* after no statement from police since monday, they released some information to the Comox Valley Echo:

Echo: Trio charged in attack now suspected of second assault, Police hoping residents won't take vigilante action

Douglas said the second attack was not racially motivated, something that Phillips confirms.

"I think the victim's mother is white, but I think it was what he was wearing, that's what she said to me last night," said Phillips on Friday.

Douglas appealed to the public to remain calm in the wake of the highly publicized attacks.

http://www.canada.com/Trio+charged+attack+suspected+second+assault/1790598/story.html

New Junk Food Instigation Incident Reported in Vancouver

Another report of a violent crime steaming from junk food being thrown.

Adam Huber claims Jay Phillips, who was on his way to the gym, was the instigator with an alleged cheeseburger (video). Police report a water bottle was thrown instead when Phillips was verbally assaulted, racially.

CTV News: Potato chip thrower threatened with gun
A Richmond, B.C., man is facing 15 criminal charges after allegedly threatening a woman with a gun after she threw a potato chip at his truck.
http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090713/bc_potato_chip_gun_090713/20090713/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

Great Editoral in Vancouver Sun on Racism in Canada

Racism happens to everyone, even against white people. We must stop the circle of hate and the stupid blame game where people blame everyone else. Stop it now... and just judge everyone on an individual basis.

Vancouver Sun: We can't stamp out hate, but we can defend tolerance

Among incidents motivated by race or ethnicity, about half targeted blacks, 13 per cent South Asians, 12 per cent Arabs or West Asians, five per cent Southeast Asians (Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, etc.) and five per cent Caucasians. Although only one in 10 hate crimes were motivated by sexual orientation, such attacks were more likely than others to involve violence.

Canada takes pride in its diversity but our multicultural mosaic is truly a fragile co-existence that must be managed with care.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/stamp+hate+defend+tolerance/1788066/story.html

Keeping Courtenay Safe Blog on the Defense

My intention when I started this blog was mainly to point out a big problem we have in the Comox Valley, and those are drug houses and crack houses where the Valley’s hooligans live. They’ve been around for a long time, for over 12 years I’ve seen no change. I don’t think they’re on every street corner, but I think every neighborhood has one. They harbor criminals, young prostitutes, and sometimes hate groups. I know drugs houses are everywhere and in every city in this country, but I think we’re a small enough community to curb them and eliminate.

So the day after the attack all my friends were talking about the attacks and how they lived in a drug house and are white supremacists, I got really really upset.

I thought to myself, is this what we’re going to see more of? Coupled with the fact a good friend of mind was jumped buy a group of hooligans when he was younger. After that he was always afraid to be out late. Then you always hear stories of someone close to you getting roughed up or something.

At that moment I asked myself: what was being done about it? Why do these reports of unprovoked attacks never stop? Do I still want to raise my children there?

What Good Does Talking About the Issues Do?

I want to bring light onto this issue. That way the citizens of Courtenay can be educated when they vote for a new Mayor, City Council Members, and School Board Trustees in the civil elections. Also people should know about these problems with young people before voting for their MLA.

It is also good that we know about the issues that plague our community so that we can take our concerns to the already elected members of local government.

My Suggestion to Fix Our Problem:

http://keepcourtenaysafe.blogspot.com/2009/07/rampant-accounts-of-reverse-racism-from.html

This Blog is Helping Spread Rumors

That might be true, but what I’m trying to do is hold the media and police accountable. I believe that the RCMP was not going to invested or probe the issues as closely as they did without the intense media attention and questioning. Without it, I think, the case would have been swept under the rug without the public knowing of it.

Also, I think critical thinking and questioning is needed to maintain accountability with our public officials, like our Mayor and city council who didn’t say a word about the attack while they voted on a protocol, made to end hate related crimes in the Comox Valley. Could have said, “Hey the wording isn’t right, so in light of the recent attack, let’s send this back and get things rolling again soon.”

You can read my rant to City Hall Here:

http://keepcourtenaysafe.blogspot.com/2009/07/question-that-still-need-answers.html

The coverage will give the men an unfair trail and sentencing

Even with the coverage, our Justice and Court System will treat this case fairly. They will use the facts gather by police and will determined if any crime was committed that day.

And if the media coverage has biased the sentencing, then we have a bigger problem – a flawed justice system. But I have faith in it because I know how honorable, righteous and diligent our court system is.

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*UDATE 12.7.2009* Just read a blog comment I agree with and would like to share:

I watched as the Courtenay City Council rejected signing the Justice Committees Protocol for dealing with harassment, intimidation & racism.

Anneal Datto shared a personal story of racism that he encountered as a young man on a soccer team.

Mayor Phelps response was "Maybe we should ban Soccer."

I can see the point that this document may be flawed; the wording may not be perfect and the protocol perhaps redundant.

Greg and councillors agreed that it's simply a "Feel Good" document. Right now I need to Feel Good! Courtenay needs to Feel Good, We need to feel Safe, and we need to feel part of a community that shares the values of this protocol.

Stop being so stubborn; in light of these recent events, your reasons don't seem so valid anymore.

Sign the damned protocol.

John Van Egmond

Mother of Child in Second Attacked, Claims Victim Was Targeted for Being Emo

We have now learned that the second attack on July 3rd, that has just come to light to the Police and the public, was an attack where the victim, who is white, was targeted for wearing tight skater pants.

Mother claims that "racial" remarks were then made regarding the boy's pants. It now reported by the mother to be a "one-on-one" engagement, with a crowd watching, instead of the "3-on-one" reported by the Vancouver Province Newspaper and police on friday(link). It is also reported that statmets were then made referencing the eariler assault, on Jay Phillips, during the attack.

The Vancover Province reported (link) that the second attack happened "just hours after the first attack." Still unknown what happened in the time between the two attacks. In an offical RCMP press release:

Subsequent investigation has now revealed that a second altercation later the same evening took place, and may be related to these same individuals.
http://bc.rcmp.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=50&contentId=10379

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Voilent crime agaisnt people who participate in the Emo subculture is not new. Emo attacks occur all over the world. Most anti-Emo attacks are fueled by homophobia. They occur independent of the person's race. Take for example the anti-Emo attacks in Mexico that frequently occur there.

I hope we don't see more of these attacks on people based on who they are and what they wear. No matter if you're Goth, Rock-a-billy, Cowboy, Emo, Skater, or Hippie, we should have the freedom to wear whatever we like and where we like without being targeted for the chic we're in.

Time Magaine: Mexico's Emo-Bashing Problem

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1725839,00.html

Let work to make sure that it doesn't become our problem as well.

Insight Into Life of One of the Accused Attackers by Loving Sister

We learn more into the personal story of one of the three men charged. I think it's a sad situation but we must learn from it. I want to thank his sister on speaking out and providing solutions and helping the community heal from this event.

Excerpt from the Keep Courtenay Safe Facebook Group:

David and his so called “friends” fucked up really bad, and they’re going to lose this one, for a huge reason (but not the only reason), it was caught on camera.
I’m sure some of you are travelers in some way, every where around the world there are hate crimes, and it just shocks all of us because it happened so close to home. Do yourselves a favor, see the world and don’t get stuck in a small town like Courtenay where you become jaded and stupid. Educate yourselves by opening yourself up to the world, choose enlightenment over happiness, we often forget what we were taught as small children (and Tina Berg, I thank my mom constantly for teaching us that color doesn’t matter) because we surround ourselves with Courtenay “jiggers” and people that don’t actually care about our well beings. Racism still exists and forever will, but we CAN do something about it! Even our beloved messed up Michael Jackson (RIP) as corny as this may seem said in one of his songs, “If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and then make a change.”

My siblings and I were brought up Orthodox Jewish for 6 years!??? We were NOT taught to discriminate against color in any way; in fact my dad preached the complete opposite on a near day to day basis. My Father converted while my brother was teased starting at the age of 8 years old. The whole change took a toll on my family. My father later on due to many hardships committed suicide and had previously influenced my brother into drugs and my brother spent a lot of time surrounded by other messed up kids in a juvenile institute at the age of 14. He and the rest of my family have seen things that most adults will never experience. It fucked with his head, and there is NEVER an excuse to HATE on other races, what he and his friends did that day was wrong in every sense of the word, and believe me he IS terrified. There HAVE been threats to not only him but to the families involved. I WILL NOT stand aside, or hide in a cave just because he is my brother. I love my brother, and I called him as soon as I heard just to tell him that, but I also told him my intake on the whole scenario.

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=100285394590&topic=9066

Claims of Clean Criminal Record in CHEK Interview by 3 Men are Questioned

Seems that only Adam Huber has an exstensive court record. The other two men have spotless records.

Court Services Online: Search Criminal By Participant Name
https://eservice.ag.gov.bc.ca/cso/esearch/criminal/partySearch.do

Mother of Victim Claims Racisim is Alive and Well

Racism is real. It happens when we don't question the use of racially offensive jokes from friends, even when it is said behind closed door. It happens when we pre-judge someone as a "drunk native" when all they want is to buy bottle of wine for dinner. It happens when you let it slide when you let your children they mock accent of a diffrent culture. And it also happens when you label someone a racist for just being a cowboy.

You might not think much of it, or think that it's not racist behaviour, but its a pretense that instills ignorance in people's psych. Then oneday it will come out in an ugly fasion, like it did on July 3rd.

Kirsten Phillips, mother of Jay Phillips, was interviewed by Vancouver Province:

Initially, Kirsten felt the gut-wrenching emotion of a mother watching her son on the pavement getting hammered by six fists.

“My heart stood still and I still choke up when I watch the video,” she said. “But I had to cheer when Jason got up and they started to scatter like little flies.”

“It shows racism is alive and well,” she added. “First and foremost, people are talking about it.”

http://www.canada.com/life/Racism+alive+well+says+mother/1782807/story.html

Adam Huber Refutes Claims of Bigotry

It’s never good when a child is separated from their father. But are there exceptions to that rule? I do pray for the child, its mother, and for their lives to return back to normal.

Hopefully this experience will turn a page in Huber’s life and set him in a new positive direction, so that he can be a proper father, who is not full of hate, to his child. I would like to end this with a quote from the famed Denis Leary – “Racism isn't born, folks, it's taught. I have a two-year-old son. You know what he hates? Naps! End of list.”

One of the men involved, Huber, told the Times Colonist he is not a racist and publicity over the incident has cost him his girlfriend, who left with his son, and his home, because he's been forced to move as a result of threats against him. "We're not white supremacists, we're not KKK," Huber said. "It was totally not because he was black."

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/T....

Surprising to me too, I do pray and hope the 3 charged will change their way of thinking. Any punishment should include cultural education. Maybe send them backpacking around the world to see how we should instead celebrate how rich in culture the whole world is, and how here in Canada, we are fortunate enough to have a little bit of everything. Celebrate how we're all diffrent, instead of doing that stupid circle of hate where you just blame other people. People who are racist should just stop it and treat other people how you would like to be treated yourself. Because if you don't, the circle of hate will continue.
*However, if they're found to be white supremacists, I'll pray just little bit less for them*

Men Charged Known in the Commuity As Racists and Trouble Makers According to Post

Are any of these 3 men known to police? According to their CHEK interview, they claim to have a clean record.

"..... A couple of the "quality" people live in my neighbourhood and always are disrupting the area with loud parties telling the neighbourhood to f off and mind their own business, when you want them to shut-up at 2am. Since their movie came out they have not been around and the area has been nice and quiet every night since.

I hate to say it but the point of my posts was it has been nice and quiet in my neighbourhood since this all came to light. They have been lying low and scarce, haven't been kept awake or woke up at 2am since, it has been very nice. I have staff that know these guys and they tell me this is not out of character for them,

and they are very much tilted towards the racist side. They revel in the deep south thinking, including the confederate flags throughout their homes and a string of racist comments and jokes regularly."

I, and many others, have complained online about the flagrant display of the Confedrate Flag in the Comox Valley, which had no role in Canadian history. However, in any other "progressive" (used for a lack of a better term) city it wouldn't be acceptable. I don't believe we should have a bylaw against having it displayed (considering what happened at the last Courtenay City Counsel meeting, I don't think they would had cared anyways). I believe people should have the freedom to say and display anything they want, as long as it doesn't offend the population at large. Only that we, the public, should frown upon its display as a tasteless act. If you're a true Canadian and proud of it and want to support the feedom that comes with it, then I would fly the Canadian flag!

Whether we like it or not, Courtenay is widely known as a "hick" town. Some people relish the city's title, while some people despise it. Also, I want to say that Cowboys are not racists and there is such a thing as a sophisticated cowboy who still drives a 4-wheel drive. Look at Alan Jackson - he's a real cowboy and also a real classy stand up guy. Like how Calgary is refered to as loving a Country City, can we be progress and still be able to wear our cowboy hats & boots without being labled a racist? In Calgary everyone dresses country... white, black, brown, whatever... it's rual country culture they celebrate there. If anything, these 3 boys have also attacked the freedom and reputation of cowboys everywhere. Whatever the case, we all call the Comox Valley our home and we want to keep it a safe and respectable place for anyone to live and work.