Blockade back up in Caledonia, Ont. (unchecked domestic terrorism!)

Broadcast News via National Post ^ | Monday, May 22, 2006 | Staff

[GMMAC]

Blockade back up in Caledonia, Ont.

Broadcast News
(via The National Post)
Monday, May 22, 2006

CALEDONIA, Ont. -- Tensions simmered for hours and aboriginal demonstrators and frustrated residents of Caledonia, Ont., came to blows Monday after a contentious blockade was taken down and then reconstructed hours later.

It was thought taking down the barricade would calm tensions, since it had stopped traffic on the town's main road for more than a month.

Demonstrators began blockading the road on April 20 when police attempted to forcibly remove protesters, who have been occupying a 40-hectare piece of land since Feb. 28, saying it is rightfully theirs.

Six Nations Confederacy Chief Allen McNaughton said Monday morning that the barricades came down as a goodwill gesture since progress was being made in negotiations. He said the protesters have always acted fairly during the dispute.

"As the world has seen, our protest has been firm but peaceful. Our people are responding without weapons, using only their bodies to assert that we are a sovereign people with a long history and that we cannot be intimidated," he said. "Justice and reason are on our side."

But tensions grew as non-aboriginal residents built their own human barricade on the road and stopped aboriginals from passing through, said the protesters' spokeswoman Janie Jamieson.

"They're instigating, (they're) a bunch of irate radicals," she said.

"What they don't realize is if they continuously threaten our safety, that barricade can go right back up again, so it's entirely their decision," she said.

Early Monday afternoon, the protesters did in fact restore the barricade, and dozens of provincial police officers stepped in to separate the two sides.

Former Ontario premier and provincial negotiator David Peterson told CBC he's hopeful the whole dispute will soon be resolved peacefully, despite ongoing tensions between the aboriginals and local residents.

He said a huge step forward has been made in negotiations and fighting between both sides at the former blockade site shouldn't be the focus.

"All of us were praying and working hard to try to make sure something ugly didn't develop out of this, like an Oka or a Wounded Knee," Peterson said, referencing previous aboriginal standoffs that ended in violence.

"Hopefully we can get through this in a peaceful way and start a peaceful, meaningful engagement in some of these issues. That is the only solution to this problem."

Six Nations members occupied the site arguing that the land belongs to them. They say they agreed to lease the property for a road in 1835, and dispute arguments that it was later sold to the Crown.

© Broadcast News 2006

[GMMAC]

Governments at all levels are dithering & pandering to a radical minority at the majority's expense.
Plainly an imposed racial double-standard but, where's Canada's vaunted Charter of alleged Rights & Freedoms?

Also see: Citizens Of Caledonia Website
Caledonia in chaos after barricade comes down then quickly goes back up
~ Hamilton Spectator, Monday, May 22, 2006, Updated at 3:48 PM EDT

Related Local Blogs: VOYforum / DustMyBroom

[GMMAC]

PING!

[Veronica Mars]

What would you have the government do? Send in the police in riot gear to kill the protestors? A violent confrontation with the protestors would only make them into martyrs and further damage relations with the First Nations.

From the reports that I've read, the stand off is winding down and looks like it will be resolved peacefully. Let's not do anything to jeopardize a peaceful resolution to this mess.

[Candor7]

PICTURES GUYS!

[GMMAC]

"What would you have the government do?"

How about upholding the rule of law without bias and/or favor?

The essence of being a liberal:
“The absolute conviction that there is one set of rules for you, and another, completely different set of rules for everyone else.”
~ Ann Coulter

"All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others"
~ George Orwell, Animal Farm

[Veronica Mars]

Here are some interesting quotes from your National Post link:

Six Nations Confederacy Chief Allen McNaughton said Monday morning that the barricades came down as a goodwill gesture since progress was being made in negotiations. He said the protesters have always acted fairly during the dispute.

"As the world has seen, our protest has been firm but peaceful. Our people are responding without weapons, using only their bodies to assert that we are a sovereign people with a long history and that we cannot be intimidated," he said. "Justice and reason are on our side."

Here's the point: the Six Nations protestors removed their barracade but were mobbed by the counter-protestors. This would have been over by now had not the counter-protestors moved in and threatend the Six Nations protestors.

[Peter Libra]

Six Nations Confederacy Chief Allen McNaughton said Monday.....

Ah, McNaughton! I wonder how HIS forebears arrived in what is now Canada? I always knew the Scots got here before the French. (Laughs).

A comprensive course in genealogy, would do Canadian beauracrats a lot of good. Hopefully no one knows what I am talking about.

[gotribe]

They call indians in canada aboriginies?

[Peter Libra]

As you will be aware, but I am posting this for those who might be interested. CTV just covered a new outbreak of violence in Caledonia. The "Six Nations" people have destroyed power lines. The ordinary citizens on "non-natives" have lost electric power. This means food will spoil.

The police have moved in. Former Premier,David Peterson has called for calm- he is not having much effect. We saw the road surface being destroyed, by "natives", with a back hoe.

This trouble is because of a treaty in 1835, 32 years before Canada became a confederacy.

The death of one Dudley George ( a "native")at Ipperwash, years ago, has cost millions in inquiries- only just finishing. An OPP police sergeant was destroyed careerwise because he shot George. The fruits of "native" outcries are now being felt. The police are now extremely hampered by political correctness.

I wonder how much more Canadians can take?

[GMMAC]

"Here's the point: the Six Nations protestors removed their barracade but were mobbed by the counter-protestors. This would have been over by now had not the counter-protestors moved in and threatend the Six Nations protestors."

... and a very selective & disingenuous "point" it is given that it ignores both now well over 3 months of state-sanctioned Aboriginal law-breaking and their on-going arbitrary occupation of the land in question.

It would be highly interesting if you were willing to cite whatever accepted conservative tenets you believe support the blatant societal double standards and/or on-going acts of de facto terrorism inherent in this situation.

[GMMAC]

"They call indians in canada aboriginies?"

Generally, "Aboriginal" or "Aboriginal People(s)" are the terms now used in Canada.

UP-DATE:
According to news reports, matters have become considerably uglier tonight in Caledonia:
Apparently, a Power transformer near blockade was vandalized (or blown-up in some stories) and TV coverage has shown only townspeople being arrested with cops turning a willfully blind eye to physical assaults against them by the terrorists.

[waywest]

Actually Veronica, who mobbed who appears to be in doubt. Here is a quote from the Hamilton Spectator.
"What happened this morning after the native barricade was removed is not entirely clear. As native protesters were giving a news conference, some residents from Caledonia formed a human chain across the road. A fight between some of the residents and protesters followed and police intervened."
Here is an interesting link to a first nations blog calling out for support.
http://www.sketchythoughts.blogspot.com/2006/05/emergency-alert-trouble-in-caledonia.html
Gives you driving directions if required. I especially like the part where he calls the citizens of Caledonia "settlers". Kind of a nice inclusive term. Makes me think he wants to replay cowboys and indians circa 1860 in the American west. That turned out well for the indians.

[GMMAC]

The article & links above were also sent out to various contacts via e-mail.
Here's an interesting response just received back from the President of my local Conservative Riding Association:

"My step brother lives in Caledonia and is the one who put up the website, although because of many threats he has already received, he is keeping that quiet. I saw him on Saturday and the stories he tells about the situation there are a litany of Liberal government pandering to special interests.

Any citizen who speaks out has had telephone and e-mail threats, natives have gone door to door in some neighborhoods and told people that they have 30 days to vacate their properties, and the OPP stand idly by. All Mike Harris told the OPP during Ipperwash was that they should do their job and enforce the law. It seems the McGuinty crew has told them to do the opposite, in defiance of several Ontario Superior Court orders and injunctions. According to Garfield Dunlop (MPP - Simcoe North) who asked questions in Queens Park on this, the cost of just the policing for this situation is over $8 million so far.

It's a very bad situation for the people living there. Children are being traumatized, businesses are on the brink of folding, and every homeowner is in fear of losing what they have built in equity. Yet this receives very little coverage in the media, who (no surprise here) tacitly take the natives side.

Thanks for helping spread the news about this situation further. What happens in Caledonia will have far reaching effects on aboriginal relations for years to come. If the government gives in to them, then whose land deed can ever said to be safe again?"

Name Withheld

[Fraxinus]

Six Nations Confederacy

point of clarification requested - Does this indicate that the Iroquois are involved in this mess?

[GMMAC]

Yes, at least in the sense that the Iroquois have historically always formed part of the Six Nations Confederacy which fully endorses what's going on.

[Veronica Mars]

It would be highly interesting if you were willing to cite whatever accepted conservative tenets you believe support the blatant societal double standards and/or on-going acts of de facto terrorism inherent in this situation.

Gladly. We could go on for hours discussing the history and legitmacy of the indigenous land claims in Canada and the United States. That is not my intent. However, let me answer your question by saying this. Recall, if you will, the passion and the fury that rightfully arose from the recent Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. City of New London. We conservatives were outraged that the Court had greatly expanded the power of government to seize private lands in the name of eminent domain.

I opposed the Kelo decision based upon conservative principles, and I likewise support the non-violent civil disobediance of the Six Nations protestors in drawing attention to their land claim dispute.

That's my position in a nutshell.

[Candor7]

Generally, "Aboriginal" or "Aboriginal People(s)" are the terms now used in Canada.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Fork That. I call 'em "Human Beings" just like Chief Dan George did in the movie Josie Wales, or maybe it was another one, Little Big Man.. Of course the problem is that some Human Beings do not act human, more like wolves or pigs etc. You gotta love that animism! And I believe that every Canadian has a little bit of it , at least!And that makes Canucks different than the rest of the world (maybe).

[GMMAC]

I suppose mine in a nutshell is little else matters if all aren't held equally to the same standard when it comes to the rule of law.

Aside from finding your claim that the Natives have been conducting a campaign of "non-violent civil disobediance" completely unbelievable even solely in light of self-evidently biased msm coverage, you'd be hard pressed to name any other societal group who'd receive the now over 3 months of kid glove treatment while engaged in same from the authorities which this one has quite plainly enjoyed.

Further - & perhaps more importantly - as it brings both the fair administration of justice & any notion of societal good order into disrepute, what of the legitimately socially & financially aggrieved non-Native local residents having Police power used against them in a reverse-racist manner for daring to object?

Finally, it's a pretty large stretch to equate "Kelo v. City of New London" with widespread cavalier disruptions (e.g. knocking out power to a several hundred sq. mi. area) with the abrupt dusting-off of a more than century-old highly questionable land claim - especially when the party up-in-arms is opting to willfully ignore legitimate Court Orders along the way!

BTW, unless you have some personal involvement so far undisclosed, one suspects even adjoining New York State isn't exactly the best vantage point.

[Veronica Mars]

BTW, unless you have some personal involvement so far undisclosed, one suspects even adjoining New York State isn't exactly the best vantage point.

That's a fair point. Even if I climb up to my roof, it's still difficult to see all the way to Caledonia. I have been following the news reports from the CBC web page and other online sources.

That being said, I have lived through the land claim fights that have gone on in central New York State (Sencas, Cayugas, and Onondagas), so I feel I do have direct experience at the level of tension, frustration, and emotion that these conflicts can bring out in both camps.

My firmest desire is that this standoff can be resolved quickly and peacefully.

[Veronica Mars]

In checking the CBC tonight, I see that the situation has ended peacefully today. This is great news, although as the article points out, this has hurt negotiating efforts.

CBC link:
Former Ontario premier David Peterson, who was appointed by the province at the end of April to help resolve the standoff, said the clash had "complicated the situation by a large measure."

When talks could resume is uncertain, he said, calling Monday's brawl a "heartbreaking" turn of events.

The native protesters had briefly dismantled their barricade Monday morning as a sign of goodwill after the province pledged to indefinitely halt development on a plot of disputed land.

There are tough days ahead, I do not envy the negotiating teams on either side.