By STACY MOORE Tuesday, April 21 2009

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FREED: Michael Parris, 24, stands outside the Couva Magistrate's Court with his 'Summit or Plummet' placards after a magistrate freed him of erecting ...

ENVIRONMENTALIST Michael Parris was yesterday freed by a magistrate on a charge of erecting placards on a TTEC pole protesting the Fifth Summit of the Americas. Harris, 24, of Temple Street, Couva, who is a social activist, was arrested and charged on Thursday night by police officers of the Gran Couva Police Station.

Yesterday, Parris pleaded guilty before senior magistrate Marcia Ceasar Ayers to the charge which alleged that he affixed a placard to a TTEC pole contrary to Section 45 (d) of the Summary Offences Act.

The court heard from woman police court prosecutor Sgt Sharon Corbett, that at about 10.30 pm last Thursday, PC Cleon John was on mobile patrol duty along the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway near the Preysal intersection. The police officer observed a vehicle parked on the road and Parris standing on a ladder attempting to affix a placard with the words “Summit or Plummet” to a TTEC electricity pole. Parris was arrested and taken to the Gran Couva Police Station where he was charged.

Yesterday, attorney Clyde Weatherhead who represented Parris, told Caesar-Ayers that everyday people stick posters on electricity poles and Parris was not the first.

“On my way here, I observed several different signs of placards such as “Land for sale, Pepsi ads, lost dogs, crusades.... all stuck on poles for advertising purposes,” Weatherhead said.

The attorney asked Caesar-Ayers to discharge Parris under Section 71 of the Summary Offences Act and she did so.

In the presence of the magistrate, police officers handed Parris his 40 placards. He walked out the court smiling and was greeted to loud cheers from family and friends.

Parris then proceeded to distribute the placards to members of the public in the compound of the courthouse.