OPP set up McHale & supporters for violence, false criminal charges – again

Posted on March 29, 2010 | 2 Comments

Native protesters & supporters interfere with CANACE anti-racism rally for 2nd straight week trying to incite responses from residents & organizers. Crashers placed their own banner behind CANACE founder Merlyn Kinrade as he announced the cancellation of the event due to lack of police presence.

UPDATED 1115 March 30/10 — For the second week in a row native protesters and supporters forced the cancellation of CANACE’s Anti-Racism Rally in Caledonia after they confronted organizers and residents, surrounded them and heckled Gary McHale as he explained why he and Merlyn felt it necessary to again call off the event – all without a single OPP officer present to separate and control the two sides.

You can see some of the native protesters w/CUPE members coming to confront the CANACE protesters in the photo below with absolutely no police presence. Above, they made sure to hold their banners behind Merlyn as he spoke while others mingled with the residents who came out to hear speeches about racial policing and how it has caused terrible trauma to residents. 

UPDATE: Gary McHale informed me after publication that he saw a handful of officers standing “150 feet away.”

The speech native protesters and CUPE didn’t want you to hear

I was not able to give my speech – Healing in the Absence of Justice – for the second week in a row, so I have published it in this article on the Caledonia Victims Project site: 

Zero OPP presence

Sachem-Dring Randy Fleming May24-09Although police have lined up numerous time to stop non-natives from walking down a street near the occupation site, and four people (Randy Fleming, photo R), including both McHale and me, have been arrested to prevent a ‘breach of the peace’ because we dared try to raise a Canadian flag, there was not a single officer present to keep native protesters and their supporters apart to prevent them from disrupting the CANACE event. The only police presence I observed was a single officer videotaping the event. That was it. Clearly the OPP were trying to do the very same thing as was done on Dec 01/07 – set up a situation where violence could break out and then blame it all on McHale:

jeffparkinson-dec01-07.jpgOPP knew of very real danger of false criminal allegations by native protesters

Not only do native protesters have a long history of violence in Caledonia, including the vicious assault on Gary McHale on Dec 01/07 which I discussed in ‘Why Merlyn’s Anti-Racism rally is rescheduled for this coming Sunday, some native protesters have fabricated false allegations against non-natives in order to incite violence, and then have others falsify ‘corroborating’ witness accounts. The worst of the violence on Dec 1st was actually incited by a false allegation of assault by Camille Powless against Gary McHale.

Fortunately, the only thing that kept McHale from facing a charge for assaulting a native woman on Dec 01/07 is that CANACE videographer Jeff Parkinson caught the whole piece of street theatre on camera which resulted in a criminal charge of Public Mischief against Camille Powless. Not only does the video show that he didn’t assault her, it shows that she assaulted him:

According to McHale, Powless’s false allegation was ‘corroborated’ by another Six Nations woman – Lynda Powless, publisher of the Turtle Island News – who gave a false statement to the police not only backing up Powless’s false allegation, but making up one of her own that McHale had assaulted her. It took McHale nearly two years of repeated demands to obtain a copy of her video statement even though the Crown was required to disclose it to him well before his trial which began in November 2008. Lynda Powless was present at yesterday’s event and last Sunday’s as well – again falsely accusing McHale of assaulting her on Dec 01/07.

Video clearly shows Lynda Powless grabbing onto McHale left arm and hanging on with both hands to help Clyde Powless take him to the ground: 

“He’s reaching up to tickle your neck”

Gary McHale in hospital after attack by Six Nations smokeshack supporters, Dec 01/07.The principal for Oliver M. Smith  elementary school on Six Nations, Terry-Lynn Brant is the sister of Lynda Powless. Both women were at the Dec 01/07 protest which sent McHale to hospital after Clyde Powless jumped him from behind following which he was kicked and punched as he lay on the ground, all of which was captured on video. I was in court when Ms. Brant appeared as the first Crown witness at McHale’s trial and watched with amusement as she blew up in the Crown’s face for all to see during cross-examination by McHale. She testified under oath she didn’t see Clyde Powless attacking McHale. Brant’s straightfaced version of the event was this: “He’s reaching up to tickle your neck.” 

OPP delighted at prospect of charging McHale w/assaulting native woman

OPP disclosure to McHale proves they were absolutely delighted at the prospect of charging him with assaulting a native woman, calling it a “hidden gem.”  

Commissioner Fantino, before the investigation began, issued a press release falsely blaming him for the violence, and then specifically ordered his officers to target McHale for charges at least 3 times, and then asking if they could be laid sooner.  

Two senior officers agreed that even though they didn’t have any real evidence against McHale they were going to charge him with a crime at the same time as Clyde Powless (the man who led the swarming attack that put McHale in the hospital) in order to “avoid the usual issues.” Those officers, Deputy Commissioner Chris Lewis and Superintendent Ron Gentle, are now facing Obstructing Justice charges in connection with that agreement.

The OPP knew Tom Keefer and CUPE 3903 were part of the protest

Tom Keefer and members of CUPE 3903 have been associating with and supporting native criminal organizations in Caledonia since April/May 2006, shortly after the failed OPP raid on DCE when officers were attacked by thugs with weapons. Here is a fact-sheet about their involvement and those of the anarchists, anti-Israel groups and Marxist revolutionaries who help them: 

Before last Sunday’s events Gary McHale sent a fax to Fantino and the Minister of Community Safety & Correctional Services advising them of Mr. Keefer’s history of supporting the use of violence by extremists, and warning them that criminal charges could be possible if the OPP failed to provide protection. The government and the OPP have been made fully aware of their involvement in promoting and participating in criminal acts with native protesters.

Tim ‘Timmer’ Sywyk was there, too

One of those present was Tim ‘Timmer’ Sywyk who supports native criminal groups and their supporters with his video ‘services.’ Timmer’s favourite tactic is to hold his video camera down low and make disgusting comments at residents in order to provoke a reaction that he can put on YouTube.

On Dec 01/07 he screamed disgusting taunts at Gary McHale as he was led away bleeding by police, and then harassed a crying Christine McHale so viciously that an angry resident pushed him away. While the OPP couldn’t be bothered investigating a report submitted by a police officer who was intentionally struck twice by a native driving a van trying to get through a police blockade, and then pushed (along with his partner)physically away by 10-13 natives after threatening to draw his weapon, they did, however, choose to investigate the assault on Timmer. They charged a Caledonia resident who was convicted despite Timmer’s extreme provocation.

Yesterday, Timmer had the audacity to falsely accuse Gary McHale of endorsing violence or some other nonsense like that (I heard the remark, but can’t recall the specific words), but when asked what proof he had, he moved on to something else. Of course, Timmer has his own dark history.

In addition to being a omni-present baiter of residents, Timmer is also known for being disciplined by the College of Nurses for abusing patients. After I was accused of slandering Timmer by Tekawenakke News reporter Jim Windle (who Keefer says received some of the money CUPE 3903 received from an anarchist group) I published the documents I personally obtained from the College of Nurses of Ontario: 

The documents show that, at the time I requested them, Timmer was working in a Six Nations facility. Despite this, native protesters and CUPE don’t seem to mind his company for some reason. 

Make no mistake about it: native protesters and their supporters are well versed in producing propaganda to be used against those who oppose them, and they don’t seem to be very fussy about who helps them do it.  

(Sywyk photo by CANACE)

McHale/CANACE have never organized counter-protests at native events

As McHale pointed out to the media present before leaving, he and CANACE have never once organized a counter-protest against events by the occupiers or their supporters. He has never tried to stifle their right to speak freely or intimidate them, or try to take over their event. And, as history has shown, the OPP would make sure it was never allowed in the first place. Non-native protesters would never be permitted to even get close to a native-run event, let alone take it over and surround/mingle and then begin baiting and heckling organizers.

Cancelling was exactly the right thing to do

After their history of failing to properly resource a protest where numerous people (and police officers) were assaulted by native protesters (Dec 01/07) and where fabricated allegations were made against Gary McHale and residents, the OPP had a responsibility to take reasonable steps to ensure that CANACE could hold their event in peace without it being confronted and taken over by native protesters. Rather than allowing the situation to escalate to the point where some nicely-timed street theatre could be used to again set up violence and/or false criminal allegations against surrounded residents without any police presence, McHale & Kinrade called it off, and now intend to hold the OPP accountable for failing to do their duty.

It was exactly the right thing to do.

Mark Vandermaas, Editor
VoiceofCanada

Founder/Director
Caledonia Victims Project
www.CaledoniaVictimsProject.ca
info@caledoniavictimsproject.ca

References

NOTE: Mark Vandermaas was a founding member of CANACE. He left in Februrary 2010 to found the Caledonia Victims Project, a public policy centre dedicated to documenting the human and economic costs of racial policing and aboriginal extremism to ensure that victims voices – aboriginal and non-aboriginal – are considered at the policy development table.  

The importance of this work is underscored by the ongoing use of the Ipperwash Inquiry recommendations by the Ontario government to justify their handling of the Caledonia crisis even though the Inquiry excluded all evidence from victims and did not allow the issues or evidence related to the effects of aboriginal protests and violence on innocent third parties to be studied. The  ultimate objective of the Caledonia Victims Project is the promoting of healing and reconciliation between communities based on truth, justice and the rule of law.

This entry was posted in Anarchists & Unions in Caledonia, Caledonia Players, CANACE, CANACE News, CUPE, CUPE 3903, How low can they go?, Merlyn Kinrade, Native Protests - Caledonia, One Law for All!, Planet Earth calling, Racial Policing, Racial Profiling, Timothy Sywyk, Tom Keefer. Bookmark the permalink.

2 responses to “OPP set up McHale & supporters for violence, false criminal charges – again”

  1. Wild Bill | April 4, 2010 at 10:26 am |

    Looking at the photos of the so-called counter protesters , I see your typical Alinsky clown posse, but mixed in with them are bussed-in hard core union instigators.

    These are the types the union bosses recruit to escalate a demonstration into provoked violence (insults, pushing, spitting etc.) . By the looks of it CUPE 3903 must be recruiting disrupters from Starbucks or the College Park Mall food court – nothing there looks like they could cope with any motivated defensive physical encounter, let alone dish out intimidating aggression.

    This is why I avoid these “protests”. It’s too damned tempting to get right in the face of these commie clowns from T’ranna . They look like whiney GTA sucks to me Mark.

    Maybe next time get some cameramen filming what they do and just go ahead with your rally/protest.

    VoC REPLY: Your suggestion has been considered re just going ahead, but these people and the native protesters they support represent too great a danger – of deliberately provoking residents to anger (which they happily post on YouTube) or violence; or of swearing out false allegations as they did on Dec 01/07. It’s just too easy for them to do, they’ve done it in the past, and the OPP are delighted to hear about it and use it.

    If it wasn’t for Jeff Parkinson capturing the set-up on film Gary McHale would likely be facing/convicted of a bogus assault charge today. Sorry, Bill, I appreciate the sentiment, but I think CANACE made exactly the right call. The solution will be found in the courts where Gary has recently taken it -can’t say more, sorry.

    What’s really amusing is that these CUPE members and the criminals they support actually think they won 2 victories against us! What they don’t seem to realize is that we have forced them to completely abandon their agenda of lawlessness. Heck, we even forced them to put down their loudspeaker which they used on June 23/09 and March 21/10. They were reduced to mingling quietly among the victims of their work holding defamatory signs designed to smear Gary McHale – again.

    That’s all they’ve got left – sleazy, tired, bogus accusations of racism and non-existent connections to white supremacists. Yawn. They can’t argue the facts; they can’t block roads; they can’t do occupations – they’re neutered. They know, as Tom Keefer himself has admitted, that CANACE has turned public and political opinion completely against them.

    On May 5/10 Gary & I will, for the first time in Canadian history, bring the voices of the victims of native extremism and racial policing to the policy discussion table at Mount Royal University at a ‘New Directions in Aboriginal Policy’ forum which will be attended with people like Tom Flanagan. A new day is dawning in aboriginal policy – a day which will mark the beginning of a process towards healing and reconciliation which will include consideration for the victims – native and non. Gary will have a story in the Regional News this Wed about Calgary and about my venture, the Caledonia Victims Project. http://www.caledoniavictimsproject.ca .

    Thanks for writing Bill and for the support. Truth always rises to the surface. Regards, Mark

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