A Swiss man has been charged with assaulting a woman at an anti-war, pro-Palestine demonstration in Ottawa last week, CBC has confirmed.
The alleged assault occurred May 29 outside the EY Centre on Uplands Drive, site of the annual CANSEC conference, a defence industry showcase hosted by the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI).
The demonstration was organized by World Beyond War Canada and other groups calling for an end to war profiteering.
In a five-second video captured by people participating in the demonstration, a man appears to strike a woman wearing a hijab, knocking her to the ground. The man is then seen pushing another woman wearing a keffiyeh — a checkered scarf typically worn in Arab cultures that has also come to symbolize solidarity with Palestinians.
David Mikha’El Henschel of Switzerland was charged with assault, CBC has confirmed. He was taken into police custody at the scene.
The video does not show what took place immediately before the incident.
Ottawa police wouldn’t confirm Henschel’s identity, but said a “56 year old man, seen in an Instagram video, was charged with Assault following an incident during a demonstration on Uplands Drive.” (Police added the italics.)
Suspect released on $5K deposit
Police said they arrested nine individuals on May 29 — eight on Uplands Drive and a ninth on Wellington Street as officers attempted to move protesters onto a sidewalk — but said “as a practice, the Ottawa Police does not name persons charged during a demonstration.”
Court records show Henschel, 56, was arrested May 29, the day of the protest.
He was released the following day on a $5,000 cash deposit with conditions including that he stays away from the EY Centre unless travelling to or from the Ottawa International Airport.
His conditions say he is to reside at his residence in Switzerland and that he is not to contact in any way the woman he is alleged to have assaulted.
Henschel is next expected in court in Ottawa on June 26. As a foreign national, a bench warrant would likely by issued for his arrest if he fails to appear on that date.
Videos can be misleading, lawyer says
In a statement, Henschel’s lawyer said he is not in a position to discuss the case because the matter is presently before the courts, but noted as a general observation that such video clips show only fragments of incidents, and said that can be misleading and prejudicial.
Various groups including the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) shared the video on social media sites such as Instagram.
Emails to the NCCM were not returned, but in a statement online the group said the video shows a “display of what appears to be another physical attack on peaceful protestors for Palestinian human rights.”
“We are in contact with those involved, including the authorities who were there for the attack,” the statement said. “We are encouraging authorities to pursue all angles, including potentially hate-motivated crimes.”
CBC has been unable to reach the alleged victim.
Initially after the incident, Henschel appeared to have been misidentified online as someone else with the same last name. That person was not involved.