John Zronik
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Brantford Expositor
Scorned by police and politicians, Gary McHale is determined to continue a fight against what he perceives as two-tier justice.
McHale, a Richmond Hill resident, has organized two rallies in Caledonia to protest OPP actions in handling the Six Nations land occupation that began last February. He’s planning a third rally for Jan. 20, when he will again attempt to raise a Canadian flag near the native protest site.
McHale was arrested by the OPP for planning to raise a flag in the same area during a rally he organized in December.
“Raising that Canadian flag is the most peaceful thing you can possibly do,” McHale said during an interview on Friday. “We’re not making any attempt to confront native people, we’re simply putting up a flag.”
McHale claims natives and non-natives are receiving unequal treatment at the hands of the OPP in Caledonia, with police watching native protesters commit crimes while arresting non-natives for doing the same.
David Ramsay, Ontario’s minister responsible for aboriginal affairs, has called McHale’s actions counterproductive and possibly harmful to the province’s efforts to reach a peaceful settlement with Six Nations. OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino told a Hamilton newspaper that McHale’s plan to hold another rally was mischief making and irresponsible.
“(Commissioner Fantino) said there was one set of laws for all,” McHale said. “You can’t just say these things, you have to put them into action.
“(The OPP’s) job is to enforce the criminal code of Canada and our charter of rights.”
Protesters have been occupying the former Douglas Creek Estates subdivision in Caledonia since Feb. 28, claiming the land was wrongly taken from Six Nations. Last April, an OPP raid failed to remove protesters from the site and the occupation has at times been marked by violent clashes between natives and non-natives.
McHale said he and his supporters will not attempt to enter the parcel of land occupied by Six Nations protesters during the Jan. 20 rally, which he said will be peaceful.
After being arrested in December, McHale was kept in jail overnight before being released. He plans to file a lawsuit against the OPP, claiming he was wrongly incarcerated.
McHale recognized that some in Caledonia feel the protests serve to divide the community, but he said standing up against injustice is something everybody should be concerned about.
“It’s an issue for all Canadians,” McHale said. “I believe we are obligated to help our neighbour. When you see such an injustice, you have to come to the aid of the people involved.”
McHale places the blame on police and politicians for letting the Caledonia situation get out of control at times. He said if claims about land ownership made by Six Nations are valid, natives should be given compensation.
“I believe if they’re valid claims, they should get the land or get money,” McHale said.
McHale, who runs a home-based business, said he’s gone through financial hardship since becoming involved in the Caledonia dispute. He said he also has received death threats.