Mary Lou Ambrogio, International Free Press Society ‘connects the dots’ w/speech at Queen’s Park Caledonia Act news conference

Mary Lou Ambrogio, VP of the International Free Press Society, was the first NGO leader to recognize the links between their experience in having police refuse to protect their right to free speech from leftist extremists at the University of Ottawa, and the willingness of police in Caledonia to appease violent native extremists at the expense of the law-abiding victims. 

On Feb 10/12, at the CANACE/Caledonia Victims Project ‘Ending Race-Based Policing: The Caledonia Act’ news conference in the Queen’s Park Media Studio she gave what she calls her ‘Connecting The Dots’ speech…

QUEEN’S PARK NEWS CONFERENCE:
‘Ending Race-Based Policing: The Caledonia Act’
Queen’s Park Media Studio, Feb 10/12

Mary Lou Ambrogio, Vice President
International Free Press Society (www.IFPSCanada.com)
[PDF] [VIDEO - to come]

 Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Mary Lou Ambrogio and I am VP of the Canadian chapter of the International Free Press Society, a group dedicated to preserving Free speech. Our parent organization, the Danish Free Press Society, was born out of the Danish Cartoon controversy of 2005. Rioting and deadly violence erupted when a Danish newspaper published cartoons of Mohammed in an effort to test Denmark’s tolerance for free speech. Denmark experienced a major fail but don’t believe that something is only rotten in the state of Denmark. We now have several Free Press chapters around the world and Canada does not provide an exception to the need.

In March 2010, IFPS brought Ann Coulter to Canada. The cancelled Ottawa event made international headlines when bullies chose to silence an opinion they disagreed with. They formed violent mobs to shut down Coulter’s appearance. But where were the security forces to protect her right to speak, our right to have her speak and the rights of those who wanted to hear her speak? They were observing neutrality between the lawless and the lawful, as George Jonas said at the time.

This experience found us taking a closer look at Caledonia. We realized that what happened to us was borne out of the same thinking being applied by authorities in Caledonia, where if one group wants to inhibit the rights of others, the authorities will appease the potentially violent group and simply ignore the rights of the law abiding.

Israel-based media watchdog recognizes member of Canada’s Never Again Group

The Israel-based world media watchdog, Honest Reporting, which claims  over 140,000 subscribers, has honoured one of Canada’s Never Again Group members with its ‘Letter of the Month’ award for November 2011.

Day 11 of 'Blue Beret' vigil outside London (Ontario, Canada) Muslim Mosque. In foreground, Pesach Ovadyah (Chair, Jewish Defence League - London), former peacekeeper Mark Vandermaas (organizer), Steve Scheffer (Never Again Group, Hamilton), July 03/11. PHOTO: Christine McHale, Canadian Advocates for Charter Equality.

 In actuality, Steve Scheffer (wearing Israeli flag in photo above on Day 11 of my Blue Beret vigil) is being recognized for having two letters published in the Hamilton Spectator in defence of truth in the Middle East, letters in which he condemns Islamist hate for Jews and points out that it is this hatred that is the obstacle to peace, not Israeli intransigence.

• Honest Reporting, Dec 14/11: Letter of the Month – November 2011

Caledonia has some new friends: Ezra Levant & SUN News TV

UPDATED May 08/11 — Gary McHale appeared on Ezra Levant’s show on the SUN News network this evening and it was clear that Caledonia had found some new – and very powerful – friends.

After putting MP Randy Hillier on the spot by lambasting Tim Hudak’s backtracking on his commitment to eliminate Ontario’s human rights tribunal to put an end to frivolous and abusive prosecutions (Levant was once prosecuted, er persecuted,by the Alberta Human Rights Commission for hate speech himself after publishing the infamous Mohammed cartoons at the Western Standard) he then spent about 12 minutes interviewing McHale. Levant finished with a promise to have McHale back many more times, recognizing that their first interview had “just scratched the surface.”

Hat tip to Blazing Cat Fur and ‘sdamatt2′ for getting the story & video out so quickly.

• Blazing Cat Fur, May 06/11: Ezra Levant with Gary McHale on Caledonia [YouTube VIDEO]

Levant/Sun News willingness to hold Conservatives accountable is good news!

As much as I was pleased at seeing my longtime associate appear with Canada’s leading conservative advocate for free speech to talk about Caledonia, I was just as gratified to see that the SUN News network is not planning on being a cheerleader or apologist for wimpy, backsliding, spineless Conservative politicians any more than it is for the left-leaning iteration. Watch and enjoy:

• SUN News, May 06/11: Hudak’s back track re human rights commission [VIDEO, 9:18] [YouTube VIDEO] (interview w/MPP Randy Hillier)
• SUN News, May 06/11: Brian Lilley’s interview w/Randy Hillier re human rights commission [VIDEO, 12:10]
• Globe & Mail, May 05/11: Hudak backtracks on pledge to axe human-rights tribunal

Freedom Party of Ontario anti-racist ads suppressed?

As reported here on VoiceofCanada the Freedom Party of Ontario recently released video ads supporting one of the planks in its election platform calling for an end to race-based education such as the Toronto School Board’s ‘Africentric’ school for Blacks only.

Those ads were pulled from YouTube after a complaint from CTV shortly after McKeever appeared on CFRB 1010.

The International Free Press Society’s Canadian Chapter (IFPS-Canada) has the complete story, and Paul McKeever, leader of the party has posted his thoughts online:

• IFPS-Canada, Jan 30/11: Freedom Party of Ontario Ads Suppressed?
• PaulMcKeever.ca, Jan 30/11: International Free Press Society sounds alarm about suppression of Freedom Party’s anti-racism ads
• see also: VoiceofCanada, Jan 25/11: Freedom Party gov’t would end race-based public schools – ‘One race: the human race’
• see also: YouTube Channel: Freedom Party of Ontario

VoC Comment

1. Alas, we know only too well how key information, hard news and opinion is suppressed. The McGuinty government intimidated CHTV after interviewing Gary McHale. A completed CBC documentary based on OPP/occuper radio traffic proving the occupiers authorized the shooting of civilians and police was pulled shortly before our FantinoGate news conference in the Queen’s Park Media Studio. Other than this one, suppressed attempt there was no other investigative reporting done in Caledonia until Christie Blatchford arrived on the scene.

TVO’s ‘The Agenda’ tonight: ‘Christie Blatchford: Helpless in Caledonia’

Randy Fleming poster (arrested for walking down Caledonia road with a Canadian flag)

 UPDATED — Helpless author Christie Blatchford will be appearing on TVO’s The Agenda tonight at 8:00 PM to discuss Caledonia: 

 Revisiting Caledonia with Christie Blatchford: Is there a double-standard of justice for aboriginals and non-aboriginals in Ontario?  

• TVO.org, Jan 13/11: The Interview: Christie Blatchford: Helpless in Caledonia

Western Standard on Fantino cabinet post and media’s ‘Caledonia Conspiracy’

The (very conservative) Western Standard recently published a brilliant commentary on Prime Minister Harper’s appointment of former OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino to the cabinet post of Minister for State for Seniors, and the author’s belief that Canadian media are part of a ‘Caledonia Conspiracy’ to keep Canadians in the dark about aboriginal-related issues…

Western Standard, Jan 10/11
Julian Fantino: The Minister for Caledonia

[...] Perhaps the greatest scandal of the Caledonia Crisis is not the hypocrisy of our political class (which is to be expected), or the failure of will on the part of the upper branches of the OPP, but the media’s dereliction of duty.

[...]

Perhaps Stephen Harper will succeed in winning his majority. If he does, it will be due to the ignorance of the Canadian people. Our corps of investigative journalists, always ready to chase down a crooked used car dealer, seem completely uninterested in how a top level police officer, now a minister of state, failed to do his job.

Omissions of this kind are never accidental. Instead of outraged editorials about Fantino’s Caledonia record, we are treated to semi-coherent ramblings about how the new minister is unlikely to mandate ground floor washrooms in new homes. Had the current Canadian MSM been around in the spring of 1940, they would have been filling detailed stories on how the Blitzkrieg was adversely impacting the wildlife of northwestern Europe, with a small line item about the fall of Paris.

YouTube restores Palestinian Media Watch channel

UPDATE: Blazing Cat Fur, Dec 20/10: It ain’t over: Youtube continues to cow before Islamists – Palestinian Media Watch videos still censored

YouTube has now restored Palestinian Media Watch’s ‘Palwatch’ channel just one day after PMW sent out a Dec 19/10 bulletin announcing the shutdown.

• VoiceofCanada, Dec 19/10: YouTube removes Palestinian Authority “hate speech” but…

In a new bulletin dated Dec 20/10 entitled ‘Thanks to everyone!’ PMW thanks its subscribers for coming to its defence:

Thanks to everyone!

PMW wants to personally thank our subscribers and supporters. 

In response to your many actions – your emails to You Tube, your blogs, tweets, op-eds, and calls to Google – as of this morning the YouTube “Palwatch” account is once again functional.

National Post’s Barbara Kay: Caledonia “terrorized…with racist (anti-white) police complicity”

The National Post’s Barbara Kay recently included the treatment of Caledonia residents at the hands of the OPP in a column about recent abuses of power by police.

It is, to the best of my knowledge, the first time a ‘mainstream media’ journalist has pointed out that the people of Caledonia were deemed expendable to OPP brass and the McGuinty government because of the colour of their skin:

[...] Most alarmingly, we saw disgusting underreaction in the years-long nightmare of Caledonia — “the town that law forgot” — when militants from the Six Nations reserve terrorized local inhabitants with racist (anti-white) police complicity. In this case, individual policemen cannot be faulted for directives that came from the top. (Then) OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino’s head should have rolled over Caledonia, and his political credibility been forever shredded. The same goes for Ontario Premier McGuinty. [...]

• National Post, Barbara Kay, Dec 15/10: Heads should roll [PDF]

VoC Comment

International Free Press Society recognizes Bill Jackson & Regional News for Caledonia coverage

Bill Jackson of Regional News takes notes during 2010 municipal election, Caledonia Lions Hall, Oct 13/10

The Canadian chapter of the International Free Press Society (IFPS-Canada) has become the first to recognize the valuable work of reporter Bill Jackson and his employer – Caledonia’s Regional News – in covering the Caledonia crisis.

IFPS-Canada – with Bill’s permission – has reprinted his Nov 03/10 editorial ‘Comment’ in the Regional in which he explained his journalistic approach and his feelings about he and his paper being recognized by the founders of Canadian Advocates for Charter Equality (CANACE) with the presentation of a print of Barb Patterson-Tuck’s award-winning painting, Caught in the Middle, at the Cayuga launch party for Christie Blatchford’s book Helpless. Blatchford was also presented with a copy of the print by CANACE.

IFPS-Canada: Defending democracy’s watchdogs

Many people do not know that Bill Jackson was assaulted by native protesters after he took photos of them attacking the elderly Gunther and Kathe Golke in their car in the Canadian Tire parking lot on June 09/06. They stole his camera which was eventually returned to him after ‘negotiations’ through an OPP officer – minus the digital chip containing all the evidence of their crime.

Gary McHale to CBC: Why conservatives cannot trust the CBC (“I guess the CBC needed a body in the morgue before the story could run.”)

Gary McHale addresses crowd of 2,000 at his inaugural March for Freedom, Caledonia Lions Park, Oct15/06

UPDATED — Gary McHale has been working with a CBC reporter on a story about the growing dissension within conservative ranks with the candidacy, and now election, of Julian Fantino under the Conservative Party of Canada banner. 

The reporter and editor don’t want to run the story until a sitting CPC MP is willing to speak to the CBC off the record. Gary replied, “I believe you have plenty of evidence that shows there are serious problems within the Conservative Party” and the reporter agreed that Gary had provided him with “lots of material,” but that his editor thinks they are missing some information to “run a story on Fantino and the PC.”       

Gary then sent the following email to explain why the CBC’s bias - egregiously displayed in its Caledonia coverage even to this day - cannot be trusted with our key sources, including the names of Conservative MP/MPPs who may be unhappy with Fantino’s entry into the House:        

Note: all hyperlinks have been added by VoiceofCanada.       

Gary McHale to CBC: Why conservatives do not trust the CBC

 Dec 01/10 12:52 PM       

Part of the problem is conservatives do NOT trust the CBC and that includes me. All you have to do is review any story regarding Caledonia by the CBC in the past two years – I think there have been two stories. During Dave and Dana’s trial the National Post was doing two stories per day for 3 weeks, the Globe did a story a day. The CBC did zero stories and in fact, instead of speaking to Dave or Dana, CBC sent their camera crew out to interview Floyd and Ruby Montour (Native Protesters in Caledonia) – CBC believed the only newsworthy story was how Native Protesters were responding to the trial.        

With such a bias, why would I, or any conservative, trust our sources to the CBC? Why would I give you the names of MPs or MPPs that will speak when the CBC clearly has a bias?        

While virtually every national media has done stories on Christie Blatchford’s book the CBC has been silent. In fact, the CBC is now doing a 4-part documentary series on Natives in Canada – I doubt the CBC will do any documentary on the non-Natives in Caledonia. We wouldn’t want a documentary on the single biggest law and order issue in Canada in 15 years.        

Vaughan Citizen pulls no punches vs. Fantino’s record – including Caledonia

The Vaughan Citizen – sponsor of the Nov 23/10 debate which Julian Fantino snubbed – has released a scathing editorial about his failure to face voters, and which questions Fantino’s fitness to serve as Vaughan’s Member of Parliament.

This is the relevant excerpt for Caledonia victims:

[...] Mr. Fantino’s contrary decision [not to participate in the debate] is particularly unfortunate because, while his prior career activities have made him the best-known candidate, they have also made him by far the most controversial.

They raise questions that voters should have been entitled to have a chance to put to him at Tuesday’s debate before deciding how to vote.

For instance, it appears indisputable that during the aboriginal occupation in Caledonia, Mr. Fantino as OPP commissioner ordered his officers to stand idly by without enforcing the law while the occupiers committed serious criminal acts.

Peter Worthington uses Ipperwash Papers report to put the lie to McGuinty’s Ipperwash Inquiry ‘defence’ re Caledonia

On Nov 13/10 the legendary Peter Worthington, co-founder of the Toronto Sun, became the first Ontario journalist outside Caledonia to write about our work on the Ipperwash Papers project in Caledonia crisis of facts.

Worthington’s latest article – inspired both by Christie Blatchford’s Helpless and Joe Warmington’s “curious justification” of the OPP’s actions (even though he hadn’t read Helpless) – follows on his first column about the Caledonia crisis – Helpless in Caledonia – written on Oct 27/10 after the release of Blatchford’s book.  It is based on a two-part series published by Caledonia’s Regional News (link below) authored by Mark Vandermaas, Gary McHale and Ipperwash activist/community leader Mary-Lou LaPratte, a copy of which was sent to Worthington after his first column was published.

Here is an excerpt that deals with our work on the Ipperwash Papers project:

CALEDONIA CRISIS OF FACTS
by Peter Worthington
Toronto Sun, Nov 13/10

EXCERPT [...] The inquiry by Justice Sidney Linden in 2007 supposedly is the definitive word on the 1992 violence at Ipperwash, where a police bullet killed Dudley George and unleashed anger that still persists. At the time, people from the nearby Ojibway reserve occupied land that had been expropriated from Indians in 1942 for an army base.

The Linden report is more concerned about pacifying Indians than recognizing abuses to non-aboriginals. It’s as if aboriginal status gives immunity from laws that apply to everyone else. Justice Linden’s report, is viewed as sacrosanct by Ontario’s McGuinty government, and made the premier fearful of getting involved in Caledonia lest he be pilloried as Mike Harris was pilloried for Ipperwash and Dudley George’s death.

Mark Vandermaas, Mary-Lou LaPratte and Gary McHale challenge the Ipperwash Report and its recommendations. The three held a press conference at Queen’s Park that was largely ignored. They had a two-part article published by the Caledonia-based Regional News — virtually the only media to give them a hearing.

Shoddy Caledonia journalism continues: Toronto Sun reporter didn’t read ‘Helpless’ before publishing OPP rebuttal to Blatchford, Worthington allegations

UPDATE: Peter Worthington responds:  Peter Worthington uses Ipperwash Papers report to put the lie to McGuinty’s Ipperwash Inquiry ‘defence re Caledonia
———————-

VoiceofCanada has learned that Toronto Sun reporter Joe Warmington had not read Christie Blatchford’s newly released book exposing OPP racial policing practices in Caledonia prior to publishing a Nov 01/10 story devoted to giving OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis a chance to rebut the shocking allegations made by her in Helpless: Caledonia’s Nightmare of Fear and Anarchy, And How The Law Failed All of Us, and in a subsequent review by Toronto Sun founder Peter Worthington.

[...]As the current leader of the OPP, and one with a deep understanding of the issues surrounding the Douglas Creek Estates conflict, it is very frustrating to hear and read one-sided views of incredibly complex, volatile and resource-intensive events,” Lewis said in an interview Monday.

The critics have spoken. Now it’s the Commish’s turn.

As the then-deputy commissioner of field operations who accepts “responsibility for the past and present operations of our service,” Lewis said he feels he has to stand up for the OPP in the wake of tough criticism coming from legendary Sun columnist Peter Worthington and Globe and Mail icon Christie Blatchford, whose new bestselling book, Helpless, offers scathing condemnation. [...]

• Toronto Sun, Nov 01/10: OPP boss defends force over Caledonia [PDF]

Joe Warmington appearance on Bill Kelly Show

Warmington appeared on the Bill Kelly Show on Nov 02/10 to discuss his column. Not only does he never mention the critical fact that he hadn’t read Helpless (just as he neglected to do in his article) , he contradicts his own Feb 21/08 story in which he declared, “The lawlessness that went on down there should not have been condoned or accepted by anybody” and, at the close of the interview he portrays himself as a defender of freedom of the press for helping to tell the OPP’s side of the story:

STOP THE PRESSES! Journalist bites dog at Steyn-apalooza!

‘If a dog bites a man, that’s not news. If, however, a man bites a dog, that IS news’
Journalism maxim (author unknown)

First things first: about last night’s Steyn-apalooza event…

I’d never read a word written by Mark Steyn until just recently, so I didn’t know what to expect from him during last night’s performance/lecture. He had me laughing so hard I was crying, especially at the dimwitted journalists who have, apparently, changed his name to ‘Controversial Author Mark Steyn’ (rather like ‘The Artist Formerly Known As Prince’) for having the audacity to criticize barbaric Islamic practices such as stoning women to death for adultery, and female circumcision. 

Natasha of ‘Moose & Squirrel’ has provided a great overview of Steyn-apalooza so rather than recount it here myself, I’ll let you read hers (and some others) after offering up some personal tidbits:

Toronto Star gets critical facts wrong on Fantino Caledonia charge

“No wonder Governments are not afraid of the public – when the media cannot hold the Crown accountable then the public will never understand the issues.” Gary McHale, Oct 06/10

According to the Toronto Star…

A local activist, Gary McHale, filed private charges against Fantino, alleging he had attempted to influence municipal politicians, but it took a court in Cayuga a mere 20 minutes to dismiss the allegations.

McHale had alleged that an email Fantino sent to the Haldimand County mayor in 2007 constituted a threat. The court disagreed.

• Toronto Star, Oct 06/10: Veteran cop Julian Fantino picks a political firing line [PDF]