One of the three activists who closed the Jacques Cartier bridge has been granted a release

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One of the three people arrested earlier this week when a protest organized by environmental activists closed the Jacques Cartier bridge for hours was granted parole on Friday.

Michèle Lavoie, 39, of Montreal, was granted her release after making a brief appearance before Quebec Judge Betty Laurent at the Montreal courthouse.

On Wednesday, another judge agreed to a request by the Crown that Lavoie and two men who climbed the bridge — Olivier Huard, 47, and Jacob Pirro, 24, both of Montreal — be held for a hearing on bail that is still scheduled. took place on October 31. All three accused are charged with one count of mischief by preventing people from using the bridge. A misdemeanor conviction carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

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The two men are also charged with resisting arrest.

On Tuesday, the protest started after 5am when two people climbed the bridge. The Sûreté du Québec closed the span in both directions for hours, causing traffic chaos, particularly on the South Shore.

Defense attorney Barbara Bedont expressed disbelief Wednesday when she learned the trio would be held for more than a week to await their bail hearings. She noted that in most cases involving civil disobedience, the accused person is most often given parole after arrest. On Wednesday, Bedont said Lavoie’s role in the protest was to act as a liaison (between police and climbers) “to ensure public safety, and she was arrested anyway.”

On Friday, Bedont requested that Lavoie’s handcuffs be removed for the hearing, but the request was denied. She also demanded that Lavoie be released immediately to the third floor courtroom and again was denied. Laurent informed Bedont that protocols involving court detainees were set by the provincial guards, and matters such as handcuffs and where a person should be released were out of her hands.

Lavoie agreed to have a family member put up $500 for her release. She also agreed not to be on the bridge unless she is in a vehicle crossing it. She is also not allowed to participate in protests while her case is pending and cannot communicate with Huard and Pirro unless it is for a meeting with their lawyer.

Lavoie has no criminal record, while Huard and Pirro are due to go on trial in November on charges related to a similar environmental protest. Huard has also been convicted in the past for his role in a protest organized in the Lac-St-Jean region.

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