All Things First Nations - CF help, protests, solutions, residential schools, etc. (merged)

[Brad Sallows]

>"We are not a country where politicians can order the police to do something,...".

All this buck-passing is degrading the images of the politicians or police.  Police have powers of arrest without the say-so of politicians.  People expect to see laws enforced, without the fancy decoration of court orders and other declarations.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Are railways not the jurisdiction of the CP Police and RCMP as they're federal? OPP would be responsible for highway blockades.

If that's the case, I can see them being quite pleased to be out of it.

 

[mariomike]

In Ontario,

Despite Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) delivering an injunction obtained by CN to protesters at the Tyendinaga site over the weekend, no action has been taken to step in and arrest the protesters.

On Thursday, OPP East Region spokesperson Bill Dickson said there were no imminent plans for arrests.

“Our goal is to seek a safe and peaceful resolution to this situation,” Dickson said Friday in an emailed statement.

“The proper use of police discretion is a valid, appropriate approach to de-escalating situations such as this. The proper exercise of police discretion should not be confused with a lack of enforcement.”

Dickson continued, saying officers are calling on protesters to abide by CN’s injunction, but the OPP “respects the right of everyone to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”

https://globalnews.ca/news/6551010/ontario-rail-blockade-protests/

In Toronto,

Protesters in Toronto disrupted rail traffic in the northwest end of the city to show support for the Wet’suwet’en First Nation in northern British Columbia.

The group met in Dovercourt Park on Saturday morning and marched north to the tracks near Dupont Street and Bartlett Avenue.

( Metro Toronto ) Police were on scene and officers told CP24 that as long as the protest remains peaceful, they have no intention in intervening.

https://www.cp24.com/news/toronto-protesters-block-railway-tracks-in-support-of-wet-suwet-en-first-nation-1.4803067


Toronto Police told CP24 that they are aware of the protest, but as long as the demonstrations remain peaceful, officers will not take any action.



DEMONSTRATION:
Shanly St + Hallam St

- protest of pipeline being built
- several people walking on or near railroad tracks
- CP rail trains have stopped travel
- officers o/s #GO273901
^ep2
— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) February 8, 2020

Protesters block rail line near Dupont and Dufferin in support of Coastal GasLink pipeline opponents

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/go-train-via-rail-cp-british-columbia-pipeline-protests-1.5457179

Toronto police said earlier Saturday that they were speaking with organizers of the rally to come to an understanding.

 

[Remius]

I can’t remember who brought up the point but the example used was “what if gun owners blocked trains to stop gun legislation?”  I agree that it would be over in a matter of hours.

 

[Brad Sallows]

I doubt that it will, though, because there are potentially too many firearm owners for government to intervene without declaring a public order emergency.  Firearms owners should be paying attention, taking notes, and counting heads.  For the sake of short-term political benefit, governments of the day are setting a new long-term standard: holding the economy hostage will be permitted.  Protests are most effective (economy of effort) at points of pressure: railroads, ports, airports, and the assorted major traffic defiles (bridges, tunnels, major intersections).  A guess: if firearms owners demonstrate that they understand what is happening right now and can muster a much larger protest base, governments will do the smart thing and not poke the nest in the first place.

Or, governments can restore public order now and deliver the message that they can and will do so in future.

 

[brihard]

Are railways not the jurisdiction of the CP Police and RCMP as they're federal? OPP would be responsible for highway blockades.

CN, CP, and Via Rail each have their own police services that enforce the Railway Act and other statutes (including criminal code) on their property. That said, to the best of my knowledge they aren't at all equipped for a public order situation. Actually enforcement of injunctions, clearing blockades etc would be the responsibility of the police of jurisdiction, which defaults to either the provincial police, or municipal if it's within the boundaries of a municipality. Land being owned by federal agencies or crown corporations doesn't default it to being an RCMP problem. Even Parliament Hill is being transitioned to Ottawa Police's responsibility for actually responding to crimes, and things like embassies and such that are an RCMP protective responsibility will still go to the local police of jurisdiction for straight criminal matters. if there's not a National Security / Vienna Convention nexus.

So- the blockade in Ontario is an OPP problem.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Since discussion's zeroing in on the technical/jurisdictional bits of the current protests, moved those bits here.

Friendly reminder that the same rules apply here as elsewhere in the Canadian Politics threads.

Milnet.ca Staff

 

[Jarnhamar]

As much as it pisses me off that the protestors are being left alone to disrupt transport and travel I can empathize with the OPP for not wanting to get involved. The fact that they're enforcing the law is moot because they'll be painted as the badguys regardless. Will the government have their back if things go pear shape? Doubt it. Trudeau already distanced himself with the police by saying the government doesn't tell the police what to do and how to do it.

 

[Sub_Guy]

Didn’t the government influence RCMP and their pursuit of two white guys last summer?

Or did the military just show up?  Surely there were a few high level conversations that happened behind closed doors.

 

[brihard]

Didn’t the government influence RCMP and their pursuit of two white guys last summer?

Or did the military just show up?  Surely there were a few high level conversations that happened behind closed doors.

Rather different set of circumstances when the military is being asked to support with a specific *capability*. That wasn’t political direction of law enforcement.

 

[mariomike]

The MacMillan Yard is the 2nd largest rail classification yard in Canada,

TORONTO, ON- FEBRUARY 15 2020.Shut Down Canada protesters head to the rail lines to occupy the Macmillan Yard in Vaughan, Ontario in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en land defenders. All trains going west to Hamilton, London, New York and Michigan are now blocked as of 10 a.m. on Saturday.

The protesters gathered at Bloor and Spadina Sts. and took the subway north to Pioneer Village subway station, then proceeded to Macmillan Yard.

Vaughan, ON would be York Regional Police.

Protesters took the subway up from Bloor and Spadina.

GO trains were also affected.

 

[Jarnhamar]

TORONTO, ON- FEBRUARY 15 2020.Shut Down Canada protesters head to the rail lines to occupy the Macmillan Yard in Vaughan, Ontario in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en land defenders. All trains going west to Hamilton, London, New York and Michigan are now blocked as of 10 a.m. on Saturday.

The protesters gathered at Bloor and Spadina Sts. and took the subway north to Pioneer Village subway station, then proceeded to Macmillan Yard.

Yes, shut it all down. In solidarity with land and water defenders. Nothing comes in and out of the GTA  ;D

 

[mariomike]

Nothing comes in and out of the GTA  ;D

Are you obsessed with the GTA?

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I can’t remember who brought up the point but the example used was “what if gun owners blocked trains to stop gun legislation?”  I agree that it would be over in a matter of hours.

Arresting a bunch of older whites would mean extra PC brownie points for a "Woke politician" People forget that the stuff our PM has apoligized for was all done legally and was the PC thought for the day.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Are you obsessed with the GTA?

Not too ****ing impressed with the politician all ya'all are responsible for voting in lol

But also, I'm supporting land defenders. Getting two birds stone at once. 

 

[mariomike]

Nothing comes in and out of the GTA  ;D

Not too ****ing impressed with the politician all ya'all are responsible for voting in lol

Does this have anything to do with Gun Politics?

You keep going on about the GTA.

Do you understand the GTA is 25 incorporated municipalities, and five Regions?

Each have separate governments.

 

[ModlrMike]

Do you understand the GTA is 25 incorporated municipalities, and five Regions?

Each have separate governments.

But they're equally clueless.

 

[Jarnhamar]

You keep going on about the GTA.

I imagine that must be frustrating.

 

[mariomike]

But they're equally clueless.

I'll take that over this,

Winnipeg Sun

Good reason Winnipeg considered most unsafe city in Canada - because it is

https://winnipegsun.com/2017/08/22/good-reason-winnipeg-considered-most-unsafe-city-in-canada---because-it-is/wcm/965ad8fe-a78d-4767-9077-cc765263a237

 

[Jarnhamar]

I'll take that over this,

Who's responsible for the numbers making Winnipeg so unsafe? Is it all random or is there a pattern somewhere?