O'Leary stresses this is not a pro-life issue but an issue of freedom of the press. Victoria Ridout, executive director of PWAC, says her association is writing a letter to the detective involved in the arrest with copies going to the police chief and mayor's office, asking for more information about the arrest. She doubts that this would have happened to a staff reporter from one of the daily newspapers. Other media have covered such arrests before, including CRFB radio, CTV, and Crossroads. MacLean is developing a strategy to regain the film seized from his client Steve Jalsevac.
Police claim the film is needed as evidence.
MacLean wonders why there is largely silence on the part of the media over this violation of free press rights. MacLean says that media outrage at such police tactics would force the police to release the film. At least 13 officers and sheriffs were present that day. They were not the usual officers dispatched and were especially intimidating. Connell says the police knew what they were doing.