Six Nation protesters agressively defending their territory and rights
Tempers flared again in Six Nations as Native protesters become the latest targets of intimidation tactics and curiousity seekers. Once again non-native protesters rallied against the Six Nations occupation of their traditional territory resulting in an arrest. Conservative cabinet minister for HRSDC and local MP Diane Finley wants the police to simply remove the protesters. See the two Hamilton Spectator stories below ...
From the CBC online stories at http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/06/10/caledonia.html
OPP officer hurt, U.S. Border Patrol swarmed in Caledonia clash - Last Updated Sat, 10 Jun 2006
Ontario Provincial Police plan to arrest seven more people after an OPP officer was hurt and a U.S. Border Patrol car was swarmed in Caledonia, a police official said Saturday.
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Tension between native protesters, townspeople and police continued through the night. (CBC) |
"The OPP investigated three violent altercations that took place within an hour of each other in the south end of Caledonia," OPP Deputy Commissioner Maurice Pilon told reporters.
He said the first confrontation was just before noon on Friday and involved an elderly couple visiting from Simcoe.
Two camera operators from Hamilton-based CH Television said native protesters attacked them and demanded their video footage as they tried talking to the couple in front of a Canadian Tire store.
Incident involves auto theft
"One [camera operator] was swarmed, assaulted and had his camera stolen," Pilon said.
"The third incident involved the theft of a motor vehicle, which was swarmed, its occupants forcibly removed and [the] vehicle taken. An OPP officer [was] deliberately driven at by the stolen vehicle. Other officers at the scene, fortunately, pulled him to safety," Pilon said.
That vehicle was later identified as belonging to the U.S. Border Patrol. Members of that group were visiting the area to observe how provincial police were handling the standoff.
The officer was treated and released. The stolen border patrol vehicle was later recovered.
Three people were arrested Friday night on charges of breaching the peace, but police hope to make more arrests on charges that include attempted murder, robbery, intimidation and assault causing bodily harm.
Debbie Walker, a managing producer at CH Television, said one of the camera operators was taken to hospital Friday with cuts and bruises to his head. A second camera operator also suffered minor injuries after he was kicked and punched.
Nick Garbutt needed a couple of stitches to close a head wound. His colleague, Ken MacKay, accompanied him to hospital, but did not require treatment.
MacKay alleged that he asked for protection from OPP officers standing nearby but they did nothing to help.
Pilon defended his officers and said: "Our members have been here for 102 days now. I think they have performed admirably under trying circumstances."
Insults thrown around
The conflict continued late into the night as dozens of natives and non-natives hurled insults at each other over a schoolyard fence. Townspeople also directed their anger at police, accusing them of being one-sided after finding out that two non-native residents were among those arrested.
The three-month standoff began Feb. 28 when a small group of Six Nations protesters from the Grand River Territory reserve moved on to a construction site in the town, southwest of Hamilton, claiming the land belongs to them.
Since then, there has been an abortive OPP raid to clear the site in April, a subsequent blockade of a major artery into town; strained relations between native and non-native protesters that led to a standoff down the road, and finally a period of calm after the protesters took down their blockade and moved back on to the construction site.
Native protesters still occupy that land.
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Angry residents clash with OPP - June 10, 2006 from the Hamilton Spectator at http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=hamilton/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1149889812268&call_pageid=1020420665036&col=1014656511815
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Finley: Send cops to clear out natives - MP wants Caledonia returned to 'normalcy'
CALEDONIA (Jun 9, 2006) - Federal cabinet minister and local MP Diane Finley is urging Queen's Park to send police into a housing site occupied by native protesters to clear them out in an effort to return the town to "normalcy."
The human resources minister's comment is contained in a letter sent yesterday to a constituent about the three-month occupation of Douglas Creek Estates as talks resumed between federal, provincial and Six Nations officials on the land claim surrounding the Argyle Street site.
It also comes as a group of residents, upset with Finley's handling of the dispute, mounted a lawn sign campaign to embarrass her into more visible action.
The Haldimand-Norfolk Tory MP's comment is in a letter to Tom Bernard, a member of the Caledonia Citizens Alliance which helped organize the campaign featuring lawn signs that ask: "Has anyone seen Diane Finley? Leadership?"
The minister says talks between Ottawa, Queen's Park and Six Nations are important in the long-term resolution of land claims, but she continues to push for the "short-term resolution" for the protest site.
"I continue to strongly urge the provincial government, which is responsible for all matters relating to policing, to clear the protest site so that our community can return to normalcy," Finley said.
The OPP raided Douglas Creek Estates April 20 and arrested 16 protesters. A few hundred natives and their supporters rushed to the site and police left after only four hours. The raid led to native barricades being erected on two roads and a rail line -- the Argyle Street barricade was removed May 23 -- and fisticuffs between townspeople and their native neighbours.
Finley was unavailable for comment, but her spokesperson Colleen Cameron said the letter was just a regular update on Ottawa's actions surrounding the dispute.
"I'm not sure she's intending to elaborate on those letters, which are intended to go to constituents," Cameron said.
Bernard said he was amazed at the comment.
"That was incredible when I saw that. That is totally out of line . . . That's not the solution. It's past that now."
Haldimand County Mayor Marie Trainer didn't know if another OPP raid was "feasible" given the results of the first one. She said, however, she understands where Finley is coming from.
"Somehow we have to get back to the rule of law in Haldimand County, but I'm not too sure what the best way to do that is," said the mayor. "It's so upsetting to everyone. It just seems a disrespect for the laws and Canada."
Finley has been accused of being invisible in dealing with the standoff. She has countered that she talks every day with federal Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice and has been to Caledonia to talk to people affected or involved in trying to end the crisis.
Bernard, who has met with provincial negotiator David Peterson, said he has never met Finley or received a phone call.
He doesn't doubt she is working behind the scenes, but said, "The people of Caledonia don't see that, we don't feel it, we don't experience it. We don't see her doing anything ... Leadership in a vacuum of communication is not leadership."
In her letter, Finley said the best thing she can do is make, "my voice heard by the parties who are working to resolve it."
She said she has been to the protest site several times. "It was not to have my photo taken and/or attempt to persuade people that I am frustrated by what's going on ... I, too, wish I could march in there and remove the barricades myself. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way."
Bernard said organizers have printed 250 signs and are selling them at $7 apiece. He hopes the move will push Finley to become more visible and, "refocus the federal government's efforts on getting this thing resolved."
Bernard said organizers have had a great response and may expand the sign tactic to others, such as Premier Dalton McGuinty.
In other news, Haldimand lifted a state of emergency for Caledonia yesterday. It had been in place since Victoria Day after a blackout caused by a vandalism attack on two transformers.
Hydro One has told the county everything is back to normal.
Trainer said Ontario has given Haldimand an additional $160,000, on top of $50,000, to market Caledonia and help its business community.
dnolan@thespec.com - 905-526-3351