http://conference.winnipegcopwatch.org/sessions/gangs-and-the-police
http://conference.winnipegcopwatch.org/sessions
Gangs and the Police
Presented by Greg Robson and Joaquin Cienfuegos
About
Greg Robson will be sharing his story with us, along with his experiences working with young gang members and being an advocate against Police misconduct.
Joaquin Cienfuegos will discuss the history of the relationship between street organizations (gangs) and the police, as well as the history of street organizations in particular. As well as the biggest gang, the Police Departments and law enforcement departments. How we relate to gangs and deal with issues in our communities, as opposed to how our community relates to state and how the state relates to our community.
Presenter bio
Greg Robson is originally from the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, he is turtle clan and his spirit name is Medicine Horse Man. Greg is the proud father of three sons, Chase, Caleb, and Andreas who he raises with his wife Christin Harris.
Greg uses his personal experience with homelessness and gang involvement combined Western academia and his culture and spirituality as a foundation in the work he does with youth and the Criminal Justice System. His expertise allows him to be effective at reaching youth and adults who are actively involved in gang culture.
Greg credits breaking the cycles of poverty, generational affects of gangs and violence to being involved in Aboriginal spirituality and attending ceremonies. Greg takes his responsibilities as a community member, justice worker and Sundancer very seriously and uses the teachings he has gained throughout his lifetime to help him in the work he does.
Greg`s greatest teachings have been the value of sacrifice, commitment and dedication to self, family and community.
Joaquin Cienfuegos is a member of Cop Watch Los Angeles and the Piece Cooperative. He is from South Central Los Angeles. He started organizing when he was 17 years old. What politicized him was his life experiences, dealing with the police in South Central, and the racist anti-immigration laws that were passed when he was young. He began to focus on community organizing, because he felt the most potential was in empowering the people, and building the institutions that will replace the oppressive power structure, capitalism, imperialism, colonialism, patriarchy and white supremacy. He began organizing and helped create the Southern California Anarchist Federation – Los Angeles Chapter. Cop Watch LA was a collective project that came out of SCAF-LA.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
BORDER PATROL OCCUPIERS TRESPASSING CHARGE DROPPED-CALL FOR ACTION FOR JUNE 29, 2011
Also check this video below as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqPib3Lgrh4
-----------------------------------------------
NEWS RELEASE
DATE: Thursday June 23, 2011
Contact: Alex Soto
Phone: 602-881-6027
Email: stopbordermilitarization@gmail.com
BORDER PATROL OCCUPIERS TRESPASSING CHARGE DROPPED
CALL FOR ACTION FOR JUNE 29, 2011
Chuckson (Tucson), AZ - The six protesters who locked-down and occupied the United States Border Patrol (BP) – Tucson Headquarters on May 21, 2010 are returning to trial to fight the remaining count of disorderly conduct "with serious disruptive behavior” charge. Last February the six also stood trial for a charge of criminal trespassing, but their defense team discovered that the trespassing charge was incorrectly filed by the State. The defense then filed a motion to dismiss the charge of criminal trespassing, which the court granted. The six return to trial on June 29, 2011 at 2:00 pm at the Tucson City Court.
In addition to the kick off of the trial, the border patrol occupiers called for renewed action against border militarization. More than 40 protesters took to the streets, with banners reading, “Indigenous Resistance, Protect Sacred Places”, “Free Movement for People Not Commerce, Tear Down the Wall” and chanting “No Borders, No Border Patrol.” Two protesters were arrested. A banner reading “Border patrol out of O’odham land ” was also suspended from the “Snake Bridge” that morning before court. At one point they rallied in front of the streamline courtroom. Operation Streamline, started in 2005 is a “zero tolerance” rapid court process that prosecutes hundreds of migrants a day, sometimes in shackles. Constitutional rights are also not granted and what would take multiple hearings is often a less than a two-day process of arrest and deportation.
O’odham Elders attended the court proceedings to demonstrate their support.
Alex Soto, Tohono O’odham, and one of the arrestees states, "It was good to see all the support last February for our initial trial proceeding. We need to continue to build, and remember this action was a prayer, and the dismissal of trespassing reaffirms that the Border Patrol troops are the real trespassers, not us. How can I, a Tohono O'odham person, be trespassing on my own land?”
“Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Border Patrol, Immigration Custom Enforcement and their corporate backers such as Wackenhut, are the true criminals. Troops and paramilitary law enforcement, detention camps, check points, and citizenship verification are not a solution to ‘issues’ of migration. Indigenous Peoples have existed here long before these imposed borders, and Elders inform us that we always honored freedom of movement. Why are Indigenous communities and the daily deaths at the border ignored? The impacts of border militarization are constantly being made invisible in and by the media, and the popular culture of this country. Even the mainstream immigrant rights movement has often pushed for “reform”, which means further militarization of the border, leading to increased suffering for Indigenous communities. Border militarization destroys Indigenous communities." stated Soto.
Kevin Jose, Akimel/Tohono O’odham, and member of O’odham Solidarity Across Borders states, "During the time of this action, my thoughts ran so deep as to what else we could do and what we can make happen. Singing for them at this action was powerful and their hearts were stronger than ever. What the state does on the control of free movement along our traditional lands is like a choke hold to our throats. The push to militarize the border does not just affect the Tohono O’odham who live in the border region, it affects all O’odham. In Tohono, it comes in the form of a border wall, in the Gila River Indian Community; it comes in form of a freeway”.
Currently the state of Arizona is pushing for the construction of the South Mountain Loop 202 freeway extension on Akimel O’odham land (Phoenix Area). The Loop 202 is part of the CANAMEX transportation corridor, which is part of the larger NAFTA highway project. The two proposed routes will either result in a loss of approximately 600 acres of tribal land, and the forced relocation of Akimel O'odham and Pee-Posh families or would gouge a 40-story high, 200-yard wide cut into Muadag Do'ag (O'odham name for South Mountain), which is sacred to all O'odham and Pee-Posh.
“Neo-liberal projects such as CANAMEX and NAFTA are attacking O’odham communities. All these attacks are connected. Support our nawoj (friends) on June 29th for their trial" stated Jose.
The creation of the current U.S./Mexico border, 45 O’odham villages on or near the border have been completely depopulated.
According to the migrant support group No More Deaths, from October 2009 to April 2011 there have been more than 338 deaths on the Arizona border alone.
1,200 National Guard troops have been stationed along the southwestern border since June 2010.
Additionally, the state of Arizona recently passed a bill which will allow for Arizona to build its own border wall. The law goes into effect July 20 of this year.
Actions toward ending border militarization and the decriminalization of our communities:
- Immediately withdraw National Guard Troops from the US/Mexico border
- Immediately halt development of the border wall
- Immediately remove drones and checkpoints
- Decommission all detention camps and release all presently held undocumented migrants
- Immediately honor Indigenous Peoples rights of self-determination
- Fully comply with the recently signed UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- Respect Indigenous People's inherent right of migration
- End NAFTA, FTAA and other trade agreements
- Immediately end all CANAMEX/NAFTA Highway projects (such as the South Mountain Freeway)
- Immediately repeal SB1070 and 287g
- End all racial profiling
- No BP encroachment/sweeps on sovereign Native land
- No raids and deportations
- Immediate and unconditional regularization (“legalization”) of all people
- Uphold human freedom and rights
- Uphold the rights of ALL Indigenous People - repeal HB 2281, support the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People
- Support dignity and respect
- Support and ensure freedom of movement for all people
Put this message into action and help end the attack on Indigenous and migrant communities. Take these messages to the streets, wherever you are. If you can, join us inside and outside the court room in Tucson at 2:00pm on June 29, 2011.
Tucson City Court is located at 103 E. Alameda St. Tucson, AZ.
Additional ways to take action in your community, and bring awareness to the impacts of border militarization and the criminalization of our communities:
1. Directly intervene by:
- Protesting institutions and agencies directly responsible (a brief list available at: www.survivalsolidarity.wordpress.com)
- Being part of (or starting) Border Patrol, ICE, National Guard, Minutemen watch groups in your community
- Stopping ICE vehicles from deporting migrants
- Providing aid for migrants crossing the border
2. Pressure political officials:
Janet Napolitano
Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
Comment Line: 202-282-8495
3. Organize or attend awareness or benefit event:
4. Donate to Border Action Defense Fund:
www.borderopposition.blogspot.com
5. Support local Indigenous struggles for self-determination and freedom of movement.
In particular, bring awareness to Indigenous communities on the US/Mexican border that have been militarized.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqPib3Lgrh4
-----------------------------------------------
NEWS RELEASE
DATE: Thursday June 23, 2011
Contact: Alex Soto
Phone: 602-881-6027
Email: stopbordermilitarization@gmail.com
BORDER PATROL OCCUPIERS TRESPASSING CHARGE DROPPED
CALL FOR ACTION FOR JUNE 29, 2011
Chuckson (Tucson), AZ - The six protesters who locked-down and occupied the United States Border Patrol (BP) – Tucson Headquarters on May 21, 2010 are returning to trial to fight the remaining count of disorderly conduct "with serious disruptive behavior” charge. Last February the six also stood trial for a charge of criminal trespassing, but their defense team discovered that the trespassing charge was incorrectly filed by the State. The defense then filed a motion to dismiss the charge of criminal trespassing, which the court granted. The six return to trial on June 29, 2011 at 2:00 pm at the Tucson City Court.
In addition to the kick off of the trial, the border patrol occupiers called for renewed action against border militarization. More than 40 protesters took to the streets, with banners reading, “Indigenous Resistance, Protect Sacred Places”, “Free Movement for People Not Commerce, Tear Down the Wall” and chanting “No Borders, No Border Patrol.” Two protesters were arrested. A banner reading “Border patrol out of O’odham land ” was also suspended from the “Snake Bridge” that morning before court. At one point they rallied in front of the streamline courtroom. Operation Streamline, started in 2005 is a “zero tolerance” rapid court process that prosecutes hundreds of migrants a day, sometimes in shackles. Constitutional rights are also not granted and what would take multiple hearings is often a less than a two-day process of arrest and deportation.
O’odham Elders attended the court proceedings to demonstrate their support.
Alex Soto, Tohono O’odham, and one of the arrestees states, "It was good to see all the support last February for our initial trial proceeding. We need to continue to build, and remember this action was a prayer, and the dismissal of trespassing reaffirms that the Border Patrol troops are the real trespassers, not us. How can I, a Tohono O'odham person, be trespassing on my own land?”
“Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Border Patrol, Immigration Custom Enforcement and their corporate backers such as Wackenhut, are the true criminals. Troops and paramilitary law enforcement, detention camps, check points, and citizenship verification are not a solution to ‘issues’ of migration. Indigenous Peoples have existed here long before these imposed borders, and Elders inform us that we always honored freedom of movement. Why are Indigenous communities and the daily deaths at the border ignored? The impacts of border militarization are constantly being made invisible in and by the media, and the popular culture of this country. Even the mainstream immigrant rights movement has often pushed for “reform”, which means further militarization of the border, leading to increased suffering for Indigenous communities. Border militarization destroys Indigenous communities." stated Soto.
Kevin Jose, Akimel/Tohono O’odham, and member of O’odham Solidarity Across Borders states, "During the time of this action, my thoughts ran so deep as to what else we could do and what we can make happen. Singing for them at this action was powerful and their hearts were stronger than ever. What the state does on the control of free movement along our traditional lands is like a choke hold to our throats. The push to militarize the border does not just affect the Tohono O’odham who live in the border region, it affects all O’odham. In Tohono, it comes in the form of a border wall, in the Gila River Indian Community; it comes in form of a freeway”.
Currently the state of Arizona is pushing for the construction of the South Mountain Loop 202 freeway extension on Akimel O’odham land (Phoenix Area). The Loop 202 is part of the CANAMEX transportation corridor, which is part of the larger NAFTA highway project. The two proposed routes will either result in a loss of approximately 600 acres of tribal land, and the forced relocation of Akimel O'odham and Pee-Posh families or would gouge a 40-story high, 200-yard wide cut into Muadag Do'ag (O'odham name for South Mountain), which is sacred to all O'odham and Pee-Posh.
“Neo-liberal projects such as CANAMEX and NAFTA are attacking O’odham communities. All these attacks are connected. Support our nawoj (friends) on June 29th for their trial" stated Jose.
The creation of the current U.S./Mexico border, 45 O’odham villages on or near the border have been completely depopulated.
According to the migrant support group No More Deaths, from October 2009 to April 2011 there have been more than 338 deaths on the Arizona border alone.
1,200 National Guard troops have been stationed along the southwestern border since June 2010.
Additionally, the state of Arizona recently passed a bill which will allow for Arizona to build its own border wall. The law goes into effect July 20 of this year.
Actions toward ending border militarization and the decriminalization of our communities:
- Immediately withdraw National Guard Troops from the US/Mexico border
- Immediately halt development of the border wall
- Immediately remove drones and checkpoints
- Decommission all detention camps and release all presently held undocumented migrants
- Immediately honor Indigenous Peoples rights of self-determination
- Fully comply with the recently signed UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- Respect Indigenous People's inherent right of migration
- End NAFTA, FTAA and other trade agreements
- Immediately end all CANAMEX/NAFTA Highway projects (such as the South Mountain Freeway)
- Immediately repeal SB1070 and 287g
- End all racial profiling
- No BP encroachment/sweeps on sovereign Native land
- No raids and deportations
- Immediate and unconditional regularization (“legalization”) of all people
- Uphold human freedom and rights
- Uphold the rights of ALL Indigenous People - repeal HB 2281, support the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People
- Support dignity and respect
- Support and ensure freedom of movement for all people
Put this message into action and help end the attack on Indigenous and migrant communities. Take these messages to the streets, wherever you are. If you can, join us inside and outside the court room in Tucson at 2:00pm on June 29, 2011.
Tucson City Court is located at 103 E. Alameda St. Tucson, AZ.
Additional ways to take action in your community, and bring awareness to the impacts of border militarization and the criminalization of our communities:
1. Directly intervene by:
- Protesting institutions and agencies directly responsible (a brief list available at: www.survivalsolidarity.wordpress.com)
- Being part of (or starting) Border Patrol, ICE, National Guard, Minutemen watch groups in your community
- Stopping ICE vehicles from deporting migrants
- Providing aid for migrants crossing the border
2. Pressure political officials:
Janet Napolitano
Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
Comment Line: 202-282-8495
3. Organize or attend awareness or benefit event:
4. Donate to Border Action Defense Fund:
www.borderopposition.blogspot.com
5. Support local Indigenous struggles for self-determination and freedom of movement.
In particular, bring awareness to Indigenous communities on the US/Mexican border that have been militarized.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Some more Calle 13 -- Keeping it Revolutionary But Gangster :)
Baile de Los Pobres
La Perla
Latinoamerica
La Perla
Latinoamerica
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Operation Chinga La Migra by LulzSec
http://lulzsecurity.com/releases/chinga_la_migra_1.txt
##################### CHINGA LA MIGRA BULLETIN #1 6/23/2011 ####################
We are releasing hundreds of private intelligence bulletins, training manuals,
personal email correspondence, names, phone numbers, addresses and passwords
belonging to Arizona law enforcement. We are targeting AZDPS specifically
because we are against SB1070 and the racial profiling anti-immigrant police
state that is Arizona.
The documents classified as "law enforcement sensitive", "not for public
distribution", and "for official use only" are primarily related to border
patrol and counter-terrorism operations and describe the use of informants to
infiltrate various gangs, cartels, motorcycle clubs, Nazi groups, and protest
movements.
Every week we plan on releasing more classified documents and embarassing
personal details of military and law enforcement in an effort not just to reveal
their racist and corrupt nature but to purposefully sabotage their efforts to
terrorize communities fighting an unjust "war on drugs".
Hackers of the world are uniting and taking direct action against our common
oppressors - the government, corporations, police, and militaries of the world.
See you again real soon! ;D
LulzSec releases ‘classified’ data of ‘racist’ Arizona law enforcement
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/06/23/lulzsec-releases-classified-data-of-racist-arizona-law-enforcement/The group of rogue and jocular hackers known as Lulz Security - or LulzSec - released data Thursday night it claims belongs to Arizona law enforcement in a campaign dubbed "Operation Chinga La Migra."
"We are releasing hundreds of private intelligence bulletins, training manuals, personal email correspondence, names, phone numbers, addresses and passwords belonging to Arizona law enforcement," the group said on their website.
LulzSec is targeting the state's law enforcement because they are against SB1070, Arizona's controversial immigration enforcement law.
They called Arizona a "racial profiling anti-immigrant police state."
"We're trying to track down whoever did it and secure our system," Steve Harrison, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety, told the Phoenix New Times. "Right now we think they got into our computers through our e-mail."
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said it was not aware of the cyber attack until LulzSec tweeted Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Twitter account.
"The media has been giving me a lot of heat lately but nothing compared to tent city!" Arpaio tweeted Thursday. LulzSec responded, "Media? Heat? You? Chinga La Migra!"
LulzSec announced Tuesday that it would team up with hacker activist group Anonymous, as the manhunt for people involved with both groups continues. LulzSec has also claimed responsibility for the Sony hack that compromised millions of peoples' personal information, as well as several government hacks. The group burst onto the public radar with a well-publicized hack of PBS NewsHour's website in early June.
The group has quickly become an Internet sensation, with over a quarter of a million Twitter followers and numerous LulzSec-inspired songs on YouTube.
"Every week we plan on releasing more classified documents and embarrassing personal details of military and law enforcement in an effort not just to reveal their racist and corrupt nature but to purposefully sabotage their efforts to terrorize communities fighting an unjust war on drugs," LulzSec announced.
The package of data was uploaded to the file-sharing website The Pirate Bay.
"Hackers of the world are uniting and taking direct action against our common oppressors - the government, corporations, police, and militaries of the world."
Updated June 23, 2011 at 9:16pm EST.
Panel Discussion: Protecting the Land - A generational Struggle: A Native Youth & Elder Panel at the Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair
For a complete event schedule visit the website:
http://www.anarchistbookfair.com/
1:15 – 2:15
Protecting the Land - A generational Struggle: A Native Youth & Elder Panel
By Native Youth Movement
The purpose of the panel will be to connect the different land struggles from southern Cali but other regions as well. Educating all of l.a. and in particular the movement, anarchist included, about solidarity and why defending the land is important and who's land we are on.
Tongva Nation (l.a. indigenous nation)
Chumash
Glen Cove - Sogorea Te Struggle
PahinSinte Lakota Nation Ogala Elders and NYM Occupation in Pine Ridge Canada
Members from the American Indian Movement
and others as well
500 Cops Raid Mohawk Territories
http://warriorpublications.wordpress.com
Some 500 cops from various police forces raided M
Police swoop down on Kanesatake and Oka
38 arrested; Large pot bust ends 18-month investigation
By Paul Cherry, The Gazette June 15, 2011
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Drug+cops+raid+First+Nations+areas/4943571/story.html
Marijuana trafficking in Kanesatake has evolved over the past few years and has forged new ties between dealers on the territory northwest of Montreal and other organized crime groups, police alleged Tuesday.
Sûreté du Québec Insp. Lino Maurizio said investigators noticed the change during an investigation that produced the arrests of 38 people Tuesday following an 18-month investigation that targeted a group that allegedly used Kanesatake as a transit point for large quantities of marijuana ultimately destined for the U.S.
A past investigation, which generated many arrests in May 2009, focused on people who were growing pot on the many farms in Kanesatake in mass quantities. Maurizio said he believed that as a result of the 2009 investigation the alleged ringleader targeted in Tuesday’s police operation, dubbed Project Connectivity, was obliged to find marijuana produced outside of Kanesatake, Maurizio said.
“Project Connectivity was launched in January 2010 and established that a criminal organization based in Kanesatake spearheaded a major network involved in the trafficking of controlled substances, mostly marijuana and also cocaine and designer drugs,” he said.
Maurizio said marijuana supplied up the chain of the network was grown by groups based in the Montreal region and north of Montreal, including some who could move as much as 50 pounds of pot in one shot. Maurizio said the marijuana would be sent to “lieutenants” who worked under the alleged ringleader Tyron Canatonquin, 43, and were based in Kanesatake and Oka.
Canatonquin, 43, has a long criminal record with 37 case files dating back to 1987. They include convictions for hash and marijuana possession, assault, illegal possession of a firearm, conspiracy, assaulting a police officer and possession of the proceeds of crime. He was arrested with several people in 2000 as part of a different large-scale drug trafficking investigation and received a two-year suspended prison sentence.
Maurizio said some of the marijuana sent to Kanesatake during the Project Connectivity investigation was transported to Akwasasne with the goal of using that reserve’s shared border with the U.S. and Canada to smuggle the pot to the American side. Depending on its quality, and whether it was grown hydroponically or outdoors, marijuana grown in Quebec can sell for between $800 and $1,200 a kilogram. In the U.S., the Quebec-grown product can be sold for more than $4,000, Maurizio said.
“We focused on the Canatonquin organization because our intelligence told us – plus some information we got from the community – that his group is one of the more active in drug trafficking in the area,” Maurizio said he didn’t expect to make any huge drug seizures on Tuesday because the organization, for the most part, did not hold on to its stock for long.
“The investigation showed that a sample would be sent to Tyron Canatonquin. When he accepted the drugs, a couple of hours later, the stash would be sent to Akwasasne.”
More than 500 police officers from the SQ, RCMP and various First Nations police forces took part in Project Connectivity. Police expected to make 55 arrests in all, but 17 people remained at large as of late Tuesday. Thirteen search warrants were carried out, including four in Kanesatake and five in Oka, the municipality next to the territory. Charges of drug trafficking and conspiracy to do the same are expected to be filed against most of the people arrested in St. Jérôme court on Wednesday.
“More importantly, we have dismantled a major network and disrupted its capabilities to use aboriginal territories for criminal purposes. We want to send a strong message to the criminal organizations that are detrimental to the interests of the aboriginal communities and that present a direct threat to the safety of their residents. We can catch them wherever they are,” Maurizio said.
Normally, such large scale police operations are carried out after dawn, so they can be conducted in daylight and potentially catch the target of a search warrant off guard. But Tuesday’s operation began at 10 a.m.
“It was unusual but it was to ensure that most of the children (living at homes that were searched) had left (for school) so we’d had the least movement inside possible,” Maurizio said.
Sohenrise Paul Nicholas, Grand Chief of the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake, said while he supports the police operation “in general,” he couldn’t understand why the focus of media attention was centred on his community alone.
He noted that search warrants were carried out in various municipalities near Montreal.
“Drug trafficking is not something we condone. This isn’t a community-wide event. This involves a small number of people here, yet this is drawing a lot of attention on us. It is not just a Mohawk problem.”
In reference to comments made at a police news conference about how people in Kanesatake felt intimidated by drug traffickers, Nicholas said he felt that things have improved.
“I think we have worked with the SQ on this and the dialogue has improved in our community.”
Through a release issued later Nicholas said the majority of people in Kanesatake are “concerned that the presence of such a large number of police, accompanied by journalists, contributes even more to the negative image of this community that Kanesatake people wish to improve.”
William Marsden of The Gazette contributed to this report
pcherry@montrealgazette.com
500 police raid Mohawk territories in anti-drug and organized crime operation
By Andy Blatchford, The Canadian Press | The Canadian Press – Wed, 15 Jun, 2011
OKA, Que. – Fed up with the scourge of drugs within its borders, a tiny Mohawk community once at the centre of a historic standoff against police welcomed the Mounties on Tuesday, helping them carry out a massive crackdown on organized-crime.
Around 500 officers from the RCMP, provincial police and native peacekeeping forces conducted a number of searches and arrested dozens of suspects as a major anti-drug offensive swept into Mohawk communities around Montreal on Tuesday.
The police work that led to drug seizures and around 40 arrests started with tips from the people of Kanesatake, a community bedevilled in the past by violent responses to outside law-enforcement forces operating within its borders.
But the people of Kanesatake helped turn in some of their own because of drug activities that locals say continued to get worse.
The decision wasn’t taken lightly by some in the community of 1,200.
“I find it sad being so small a community and having people, our neighbours, family members, doing this,” said Michelle Lamouche, a chief of the Kanesatake council.
“But other people say that it was about time that it was done.”
Kanesatake, which no longer has its own peacekeeping force and relies on provincial police patrols, hasn’t been known to open the door to intensive law-enforcement help from the outside.
In 2004, protesters in Kanesatake burned their grand chief’s home to the ground and held 50 aboriginal police officers hostage after their leader tried to crush local organized crime. He was forced to flee the community for his own safety.
Kanesatake was also the site of the 1990 Oka Crisis, the historic, 78-day standoff between Mohawk protesters, police and the Canadian army.
But this time was different for many residents, Grand Chief Paul Nicholas insisted Tuesday.
“The community’s fed up with the drug use,” Nicholas said in front of the band council office, after police scoured several sites in Kanesatake.
“So if this raid translates down to less drugs being available, a lot of people will be satisfied with what happened.”
The police blitz also descended on sites in Akwesasne, Oka and Montreal in an operation that targeted 50 locations overall — but officers couldn’t immediately provide specifics on the quantity of drugs seized.
Police said the seizures primarily involved marijuana, but cocaine and designer drugs were also swept up in raids that rounded up about 40 of the 55 people targeted in the busts. Officers also found guns as well as outdoor and hydroponic marijuana grow operations.
Police credited the busts for dismantling a major organized-crime ring that had been operating inside the native communities and they thanked Kanesatake residents for the operation’s success.
“The residents of Kanesatake delivered a clear message,” Insp. Michel Arcand of the RCMP told reporters Tuesday in Oka, just outside the Mohawk community in a rural area west of Montreal.
“Organized crime does not belong in this community — violence and intimidation will no longer be tolerated.”
When asked how he thought some people in his community might react to the busts, Nicholas was guardedly optimistic there would be no backlash against those who spoke out.
“I hope that doesn’t happen, I can’t really guess at this point,” he said.
“It’s going to take some time to digest, I’m hoping the community will get past it and calm will remain in the community.”
There were reports of at least one minor scuffle involving a reporter Tuesday but, otherwise, there was no immediate word of any major incident.
“Minor confrontations I can understand — I think a lot of tension boils at these events,” Nicholas said.
Cpl. Luc Thibault said RCMP and provincial police worked with native police forces to help ensure they could handle the delicate operations on First Nations territories.
“It’s always delicate, but we have good co-operation with the (aboriginal) police force and the people working there,” Thibault said. “We have to be careful, everywhere we go security is first for everybody, including the public.”
He said the native communities welcomed the outside police help.
“We have a very good collaboration with aboriginal territories because naturally these people don’t want drugs and don’t want to see organized crime on their territory,” Thibault said.
Nicholas predicted locals will be surprised when they hear some of the names of those arrested, particularly in a community where just about everyone knows everyone else.
Lamouche, meanwhile, said Kanesatake needs help from Ottawa and the province to improve its social support network, especially to help neighbours who might be convicted with crimes following Tuesday’s raids.
“We need to also get help for those people because they are part of the community and one day or the other, they’ll be back,” she said.
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