NO Canada!

OPP stop Caledonia residents from erecting Canadian flags

By NEIL DRING
The Sachem
Dec 8, 2006

An attempt to erect Canadian flags across from the DCE subdivision by Caledonia residents was thwarted by OPP Saturday morning.

"We feel a pride of nationalism, too," said one of the participants who was hoping to place Canadian flags on the same telephone poles which already have native flags flying on them. Those poles are located across the highway from the DCE leaving many with the impression that natives have expanded the territory of their claim. The native flags went up on the same day as Gary McHale's March for Freedom and have never been removed.

"We understood there was one law for everybody, but obviously that's not the case," he said referring to the OPP interaction. About 60 OPP in riot gear formed lines between the residents and the poles blocking access to them. Two police officers actually put their hands on one pole and forbid two men from erecting it. The four men stood for about 20 minutes in a standoff position as residents jeered the police and the police stood firm, following their orders.

OPP Inspector Rioux, who was in charge at the scene, had little patience for the residents. He ordered quickly that anyone erecting a flag near the DEC area would be charged with Breach of Peace. A paddywagon was dispatched.

"We're here so that nobody gets hurt," Rioux told the Sachem. Police felt that the presence of a large crowd and the erecting of flags would intimidate natives and that tensions could further escalate.

Meanwhile, at the entrance to DCE, a handful of natives watched curiously as police dealt with residents.

Lynda Powless, a media spokesperson the native occupiers said "we've asked police to keep the peace, to keep them away from our site. They should have come down in advance and told us of their intentions, but when they show up unannounced, we felt threatened."

The Caledonia residents were eventually allowed to erect flags along Argyle St. north and south of DCE.

However, Canadian flags erected near Sixth Line were taken down Sunday morning by natives.

"We tried to chase them, but they turned down Sixth Line (an OPP no-go zone) and then they just got out of their truck and laughed at us," said an obviously frustrated OPP officer Sunday morning according to a witness.