Leader defies court order
April 21, 2007
Stan Josey
Special to the Star
DESERONTO, Ont.–Indian protesters vowed to keep the main CN rail line between Toronto and Montreal closed for another day despite a court injunction and a personal plea from OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino to end the blockade.
The tense situation also prompted Premier Dalton McGuinty to urge the federal government to intervene at the "earliest possible opportunity," to help resolve issues underlying the blockade.
About 3,500 Via Rail passengers were left scrambling for scarce bus seats and other modes of transportation on the first nice weekend of spring when a group of Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte shut down the rail line at midnight Thursday in this community just east of Belleville.
They parked a converted school bus camper on the tracks and built a bonfire nearby as part of a rotating, escalating campaign to resolve a land claim issue the Indians say has been festering for 170 years.
Almost exactly a year ago, the same group of Mohawks led by Shawn Brant erected a blockade using bonfires and old school buses that disrupted rail traffic from Toronto to Montreal in solidarity with land-claim protesters in Caledonia.
For the past month the band members have maintained barricades around a stone quarry just west of Deseronto, which they claim is on land that is part of their reserve. A developer plans to build condominiums using material from the quarry.
When the province failed to move quickly to cancel the quarry license this week, a group of individuals, acting in concert, decided to take the next step by imposing "economic sanctions". Brant said his group would not comply with a court order obtained by CN in Toronto court yesterday ordering the rail blockade removed.
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3 comments:
The original culture of entitlement has apparently discoved the 2 tiered justice system allows them to engage in violent acts of extortion.
I can't think of any better example of the double standard in upholding the rule of law McGuinty is promoting.
In a day and age when Canada was a peacful nation under rule of law, anarchists like this would be explaining their complaints to a bail judge.
Another spring, numerous threats from native groups that the rail lines, and heaven only knows what else will be targeted this summer. Enough, the politicians, and law enforcement must get their acts together and stop this foolishness. The law must be upheld, and not applied selectively to certain groups. Enough of this foolishness. We are all Canadians and must be subject to the same law, applied in equal measures. If natives do not view themselves as Canadians then they should return all funds sent their way by our governments.
Native, groups who may well have some valid claims, must rectify these claims in the law courts, which unfortunately move slowly. Those who wish to take the terrorist route of blocking roads, and rail lines etc, are no better than school yard bullies, terrorists actually and should be treated with the firmest hand the law can muster, not this oh they are natives we can't do anything!
You know, the protestors pull stunts like this in hopes of getting attention, and they do! Negative attention, and they only serve to hurt their cause. Yet they persist. Home grown terrorism is an apt word for this article, because I'm afraid that is the next step for this 'movement.'
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