i wrote this email a couple of days ago but i think that a lot of it is still relevent...


hi everyone,

i have become very involved in a 'right to sleep' campaign in victoria
bc... a friend of mine (David Arthur Johnston) has been in and out of
jail (fasting each time) in relation to what he calls the 'occupation
of st. ann's academy'... i started making a documentary about the
right to sleep focusing on david's stand against the current laws
making sleep illegal for anyone who does not own or rent private
property... because of time constraints (david just got out of jail
after serving 20 days - each sentence is longer than the previous -
and he refuses to eat while in custody) i decided to focus on a
website where i could show video clips and sections of david's on-line
journal. it just came out yesterday and there's still a lot more to
come...

the site can be found at:

 http://www.loveandfearlessness.com

please tell me what you think by clicking on the question mark at the
bottom of the first page... also, i'm wondering if you have any ideas
of other people, organizations or media who would be interested in
supporting or bringing awareness to david's stand for the right to
sleep peacefully... david had quite a bit of media coverage a few
months ago when he started breaching a court order to not go to st.
ann's academy... there was coverage by the Associated Press, the
Canadian Press, the Times Columnist, Monday Magazine, the New VI, and
CH News - several times including coverage of david being arrested at
st. ann's academy... more recently, CBC radio taped an interview with
david from Wilkinson's Correctional Facility during his 10 days in
jail for his 5th conviction of breaching his court order...

i hope that by creating this website, people will become inspired to
help support david's stand against current laws, legislation and
social trends that aim to criminalize the homeless minority who like
all of us require the necessities of life...

david was just released last week after his 6th breach where he fasted
for the entire 20 days that he was in custody... david has given the
courts an ultimatum saying, 'either give me justice, or kill me'...
david will be returning to st. ann's academy on this monday march 28
at approximately 9:30 pm to breach for his 7th time... each time that
david breaches his court order he appeals to the judge to hand down a
ruling making it illegal for police and private security guards to
wake a peaceful and conscientious sleeper on public-access/private
property (which is all land in canada that is not privately owned -
apparently there is no such thing as public land - not even our
provincial parks and beaches)... however, the courts consider each
breach a direct challenge to their authority and his prison sentences
continue to get longer...

if anyone has the ability to get some media coverage please let me
know... please keep in mind that this monday david will most likely be
arrested and held until sentencing on tuesday morning... i worry that
this time his sentence will be long enough to kill him if he doesn't
eat...

since moving out to british columbia and spending time with David
Johnston, as well as others living outside, i have met and interviewed
a lot of beautiful and inspiring people... by not allowing a person to
sleep, we are depriving them of something that all of us take for
granted and by doing so we are not improving society but rather
showing that we still haven't learnt from past experiences that
persecuting a minority by criminalizing their basic human needs is
never alright... david lives like a monk, hasn't spent money in over a
year... and is one of the wisest, kindest, and gentlest people i have
met... he is not asking for money, shelter, social assistance or
anything other handout from our government... he is only asking for
his freedom

it is important to remember that the law is here for us and by
changing the law we may not change the people but if the people
change, the law inevitably must follow... by going to jail for what he
believes in and living his inspiration in patience, love and
fearlessness, david continues to put his life on the line to challenge
our justice system to be just.

"under a government that imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a
just man is also in prison"

- henry david thoreau, civil disobedience 1849

peace and patience to us all...
and much thanks...

 andrew...contact@loveandfearlessness.com