Woman arrested for uploading anti-police photo on Instagram

A 20-year-old Canadian woman has been arrested for posting an image, depicting an anti-police graffiti, on Instagram.

Montreal-based Jennifer Pawluck has been taken into custody after posting a controversial image on Instagram. The 20-year old woman uploaded a shot of an anti-police graffiti, forcing the police to consider her a threat to a high-ranking officer.

Photo of anti-police graffiti uploaded on Instagram, which led to Jennifer Pawluck getting arrested.

Instagram photo leads to woman getting arrested

The graffiti is depicting Commander Ian Lafrenière, who is in charge of Montreal’s police social media channels, with a bullet hole in his head. “IAN” and ACAB” are also seen in the picture, clearly referring to the policeman’s name and to the fact that “all cops are bastards”.

Pawluck has been arrested and interrogated by the Montreal police. However, she did not say too many words so she was released just a few hours later.

Although the graffiti has been removed since the incident, the damage is done. Pawluck, as also many photographers and activists, believes that this is “ridiculous” because it is wrong to arrest someone for uploading an image on a photo-sharing website.

Just an artistic photo, not a threat to the police

The Canadian woman said that all she did was to share an artistic photo. Also, if the police wants to arrest someone, then it should seize the person who created it in the first place.

However, the police’s story is a bit different. A spokesperson said that the arrest is based on circumstances which go far beyond uploading a photo on the internet. Constable Dany Richer denied to make further comments because the investigation is ongoing.

Unfortunately for Pawluck, she has been taken into custody three times before this incident. She is a social activist, present at many public protests. Moreover, her Instagram profile featured an emoji icon firing a gun to a cop’s head.

Still, this may prove to be a little too much, even though the warrant said that Ian Lafrenière feared for his life.

Situation scheduled to be settled on April 17

A defense attorney claims that this is nothing more than a “political statement”, meant to show people that the police has a zero tolerance policy against activists threatening their integrity.

Jennifer is scheduled to show up in court on April 17. Until then, she needs to stay one kilometer away of the Montreal police station and forbidden to try getting in contact with Commander Ian Lafrenière.