[Tigerlily]

Haha. I think this is funny...

Creamed Klein pursues charges
Three face assault counts

Tom Olsen
Calgary Herald


Tuesday, July 08, 2003


CALGARY -- Three men have been charged with assault and the level of security around Ralph Klein is under review after the premier had a banana cream pie slapped in his face Monday during his annual Stampede pancake breakfast.

Klein vowed not to let the incident change how he deals with crowds, and pledged to aggressively pursue a criminal conviction.

"Of course I am," Klein said. "If I want to say 'Let the poor fellow go,' that gives everyone free rein to do this kind of thing or worse."

Mark David Leigh, 19, Gordon Graham, 20, and Christopher Peter Geoghegan, 23, all of Calgary, face one count of assault each. They will appear in court Aug. 21.

A young man carrying a concealed pie nonchalantly strode by before lunging at the premier and striking him.

Amid gasps and screams, the suspect and two accomplices were immediately tackled by onlookers. They briefly struggled free, but were caught and held for police.

Klein was initially angered by the attack, appearing to want to go after the suspect.

He regained his composure and, bananas and cream dripping from his face, told reporters it was "tasty," before heading inside to clean up.

An assistant quickly passed her jacket to the premier to wipe his face.

An incident review will be conducted, but Klein defended his security staff.

"Security got on him pretty quickly," said Klein. "There's not much you can do with some guy who is intent on doing something, is going to do it, has it all mapped out, has two accomplices."

Klein had harsh words for the suspect.

"It hurt. He slapped me," he said. "It doesn't say anything about politics. It says something about the stupidity of this young person, who will now have the criminal record and who will be in trouble, I think, at his university.

"I hope he's not studying political science. If he is, I hope he gets a failing grade."

There was no confirmation the young man was a post-secondary student.

It's not the first time Klein's casual approach to public events has sparked concerns for his safety.

In 1994, the premier was squirted in the face by a teenage protester with a water pistol in Sherwood Park, just south of Edmonton. It was during Klein's first mandate, when downsizing of the public service was underway.

At the time, Klein said he briefly thought the gun was real.

In April 2002, Greenpeace environmentalists climbed on the roof of Klein's Calgary house and erected solar panels, in the process shaking up his wife, Colleen, and leaving the premier fuming.

Klein prefers to travel with a single security guard.

The premier's colleagues were seething after Monday's incident.

"We are in public life, but there's no call for someone to be hit with a pie," said Spruce Grove MLA Doug Horner. "That's physical abuse. We are people with wives and families. Something like this worries them."

Municipal Affairs Minister Guy Boutilier said the incident won't change the premier's rapport with the public.

"That's part of who he is," said Boutilier. "He is a very accessible politician who enjoys a give and take with people. They are used to getting that from Ralph, and that won't change."

Boutilier praised Klein's security contingent as dedicated and professional.

"(The guard) was watching the crowd, doing what he is supposed to do," said Boutilier. "There's nothing you can do about something like this."

I got this from http://www.canada.com/national/story.as ... 3E98FEC606

You should all go to that address if you want to see some pictures of other politicans getting pie in the face.

[Boondock Saint]

I dont know about pressing charges ... that seems a little harsh ... but then again technically speaking it was a chargable offense ...

I don't know, I think the guy should shrug it off, I mean it was a pie ... it could have been alot worse ... like a pie with a brick in it ... or even worse ... a board with a nail in it

[Tigerlily]

I know. But it didn't mention WHY those guys creamed him in the face. Does anyone think they know why?

[Boondock Saint]

:lol:

I know. But it didn't mention WHY those guys creamed him in the face. Does anyone think they know why?

I would imagine they don't like him?

I doubt its a practical joke by freinds ... otherwise there wouldnt be so much hubub ...

[Tigerlily]

Urgh. I know, I know, I know! I know they don't like him. Duh. But I was wondering WHY THEY DON'T LIKE HIM. We stopped our newspaper delivery, so I can't read another article (I prefer reading long texts on paper then on computer screen because I don't get lost as easily).

[FCP]

I don't quite understand the point of pieing Klein, regradless of what you think of the liitle fief he runs there. It accomplished nothing, and it probably got these kids a criminal record. It also seems to be quite en vouge these days(between Chretien and Day) Though yes, I do concede it was quite funny.

[Tigerlily]

*crinkles nose*

He doesn't sound like someone I'd like. I think I saw it somewhere on the news sometime that he said he liked George W. and stuff about how he likes Dubya's policies. I wasn't paying much attention.

[FCP]

Really? So Calgary is--generally speaking--a much more conservative city than Edmonton? I wonder why that is? I generally get the impression that Alberta is a very conservative province. I mean I can understand Alberta being a fiscally conservative province given it's incredible oil + gas wealth, but it's the social conservatism that I fundamentally don't understand. Mind you I don't understand that anywhere regardless of whether it's in Alberta, Newfoundland, or Nunavut.