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What he rejected were the testimonies of Pegida members and Henein, who attempted to shift the blame onto McIntosh, who suffered a bloodied nose while she wore a protest sign that said “I love my Muslim neighbour.”

Pegida, also known as Patriots of Canada Against the Islamization of the West, were outside London’s city hall on March 14, 2018, demanding an apology from then-Mayor Matt Brown for associating them with white supremacists.

McIntosh is a well-known annoyance to Pegida, often showing up ringing her cowbell and yelling at their rallies. That was clear from the testimony of the Pegida members at the trial, who painted McIntosh as violent and a threat.

Orsini said at the beginning of his decision that the case was “not about taking sides in a public debate.”

“While this case touches on the right to peacefully protest in a free and democratic society, the central issue to be decided is whether the Crown has proven the guilt of the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt,” he said.

Henein claimed he was not part of Pegida and that he was there only to pick up a “boom-box,” a broken loud speaker that Pegida leader Jenny Hill needed to have fixed. He agreed that he had been at rallies before, but claimed he was only there to observe. On the day of the assault, he said his 11-year-old son was with him and interested in seeing what the rally was about.

He said McIntosh had threatened him and his son during the early stages of the demonstration when they were standing near the city hall parking garage entrance. He claimed McIntosh had lunged at the boy.