What constitutes a physical assault in Toronto these days?

[Neil]

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/08/02/yonge-dundas-smackdown


The details: I was at Yonge-Dundas Square with my nine-year-old son. We ate pizza. We drank bubble tea. And I used my new Canon camera to take photos of this neon shrine.

Suddenly, a woman wearing a hijab ran toward me. She was part of a group that included two women wearing full face-covering burkas. She was screaming: “We are Muslim! You do not take pictures of us!” (Odd. I can’t find the “no photos” rule in the Qur’an.)

I informed the lady I was in a public square in a democracy. I can actually take pictures of whomever I please.

And then: Ka-pow! Her fist collided with my face. Worse, she almost knocked my new camera from my hands.


Love this - "The irony: Just above our heads a Toronto Police Service sphere was videotaping the activities."

[bassman]

Not that I agree with the cop's assessment of the situation, but you know if he had taken the woman to jail it would have blown up into a big racial issue and been all over the world news. She would have been set free anyway because she would have claimed they were only picking on her because of her race and spiritual beliefs. It would have been a waste of everyone's time and unwanted publicity for the city police department...

[Neil]

Not that I agree with the cop's assessment of the situation, but you know if he had taken the woman to jail it would have blown up into a big racial issue and been all over the world news. She would have been set free anyway because she would have claimed they were only picking on her because of her race and spiritual beliefs. It would have been a waste of everyone's time and unwanted publicity for the city police department...

Then "they've" won haven't they... They've bullied their way into this behaviour being acceptable?

A women gets fined for tapping a guy in the shoulder for texting during a film. But this womem gets away scott-free with striking a guy in the face for taking a photo, just because she believes in some religion!? Hmmm... :)

[Mr. Clean]

What a load of crap...

She would have been put in jail in America....then once out on bail....been sueing the man for taking a picture of her and bringing discredit apon her then sueing the police department/city for making her remove her muslim clothing and don that ugly orange jumpsuit.

[AcesandEights]

I'll be honest, this sort of thing does make me angry and wish for a reciprocity of sorts, but the woman had her kid with her, so you can only do so much with a child in tow without bringing undue risk.