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BAD campaigner arrested by Regiment police

Anti-draft campaigner Lamont Marshall has been arrested this afternoon by regimental police, according to his father.Bermudians Against the Draft (BAD) founder Larry Marshall Sr said he received a call from his 27-year-old son a short time ago and rushed to Hamilton to see Lamont being driven away in a van.Top runner Lamont works as a refuse collector for City Hall and is currently involved in civil legal proceedings against the Bermuda Regiment.He has also applied to the Defence Exemption Tribunal to be deemed a conscientious objector, though a decision on that has not yet been taken by the board.Last week, Regiment police sought him out at his home for being AWOL as a serving soldier.They did not arrest the Olympic hopeful because he did not leave the threshold of his Devonshire apartment but Regiment commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Brian Gonsalves warned he would be caught in the future.Mr Marshall Sr told The Royal Gazette today: “Lamont got arrested by three RPs outside of his job at the Corporation of Hamilton. They picked him up off his job. He called me and I came around. I just watched them take him up in the van.“It’s a low point for my wife and I to see our son, in 2012, dragged away like a criminal, despite the fact that he is a conscientious objector and has a case before the Privy Council. I think that’s also a low point for Bermuda.”Mr Marshall added: “I’m gutted, devastated, as a father to see this happen in what’s supposed to be a democracy. I’m at a loss for words.”He claimed the Regiment was targeting his son because of his efforts to get conscription outlawed. “I just hope that this is a wake-up call for Bermuda,” said Mr Marshall. “I’m absolutely devastated.”Lt Col Gonsalves insisted last week that Lamont was not being singled out. He said there were between ten and 15 serving Regiment soldiers who were currently AWOL and that regimental police would go after them as “resources and intelligence” allowed.The CO said Lamont had not been listed as a conscientious objector and his court case did not prevent regimental police from arresting him in relation to his absence from Warwick Camp.