Haldimand OPP charged eight people Saturday during a demonstration at the contested Douglas Creek Estates subdivision in Caledonia.
The eight are members of Canadian Advocates for Charter Equality (CANACE), a group that was formed several years ago to address the issue of race-based policing in Caledonia.
CANACE maintains ttainsolthat police ffering enforcement standards in Caledonia depending on whether one is an aboriginal land activist or not.
Haldimand OPP warned the eight that they would be charged if they proceeded down Surrey Street onto the Douglas Creek property.
The group did so anyway, saying it is a county road and that no one can prevent them from using it. In a news release Saturday afternoon, Gary McHale of Binbrook, executive director of CANACE and one of the people charged, described the trespassing charges as "illegal".
McHale "provided the OPP with the legal land title deeds showing that the roads were county roads owned by Haldimand County," the news release says.
"Even with this information the OPP illegally ticket people and threatened people with overnight jail time if they attempted to walk down the county road.
"The OPP has refused to obey any of their standard procedures to ensure that they know who the owner of the property is and whether they have any authority to arrest people for trespassing," the release continues.
"Meanwhile, dozens of native people were permitted to walk down Surrey Street without the OPP arresting a single person.
"Apparently you are only a trespasser in the eyes of the province if you are non-native. It is clear the OPP and the McGuinty government
continue to enforce racist policing policies in Caledonia."
Saturday's incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. Charged with failing to leave the premises when directed are McHale, 49, Doug Fleming of Hamilton, Merlyn Kinrade, 76, of Caledonia, Randy Fleming, 50, of Haldimand, Bonnie Stephens, 64, of Haldimand, Jacob Van Halteren, 54, of Richmond Hill, Jeff Parkinson, 31, of Norfolk County, and Mark Vandermaas, 55, of London.
The eight will answer the charges at the courthouse in Cayuga Jan. 6.