Canada Looking for Terrorists in Grassy Narrows
The National Post just reported that Canada’s top Federal spooks were keeping *really* close tabs on last year’s National Day of Action for Native Rights–apparently including protests planned in support of Grassy Narrows.
Mind you, this is not terribly surprising–when Canadian customs started seizing our laptops and cameras at the border a couple years back, we kinda figured the snoop was on. What’s unsettling is that snooper was Canada’s shiny new counter-terrorism office.
The Post peeked at 22 secret reports including daily briefings prepared by Integrated Threat Assessment Center (ITAC) during the week last Summer’s protests. Daily briefings! And what does ITAC do? According to the FAQ on its website,
ITAC’s role is to help prevent and reduce the effects of terrorist incidents on Canada and its people, both at home and abroad.
Ok, fine. Good goal… So then what then what the hell were they doing in Grassy Narrows? First, the action wasn’t even in Grassy Narrows that week. It was in Toronto, where we joined the Christian Peacemaker Teams and folks from Grassy and KI to erect a big teepee on the legislature lawn to draw attention to Provincial backsliding on its obligations respect the rights of those communities (pictures, video).
Then there’s that Terrorism thing. No terrorists here, see? Just young folks trying to make a point creatively.
Aside from the astonishing waste of time and money, the unfortunate consequence of this kind of surveillance is that it makes us all less safe. It’s frightening to think that national authorities established precisely to prevent terrorism would rather rather justify their paychecks chasing protesters like us.
5 Responses to “Canada Looking for Terrorists in Grassy Narrows”
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June 27th, 2008 at 9:25 am
It seems like there are the boogie men in every nook and cranny and that promotes fear and hatred for the Arabs who we should try to help get into the 21st century. Take care. David O’Malley
June 27th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Sad to see another ignorant, stupid adminstration is wasting the citizens money and time spying on innocent civilians that are fighting for their rights that supposedly exist. Thanks for making this world harder to live in and for our future generations to come.
June 28th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
A few years ago the RCMP and OPP anti-terrorist squad knocked on my door and told me I was under investigation for alleged terrorism (in that case a plot against NATO). They apparently were following me for about 2 months – or they thought was me. Turns out it my brother, whom they confused with me. They confronted him the day before NATO came to town. He is a rock musician who doesn’t get involved with politics, so it took him by surprise. Then they visited me and revealed that I was under investigation, and then asked me a bunch of questions about OCAP and Homes Not Bombs. There was nothing to tell them as I was into housing activism at the time and knew little or nothing about those groups. Turns out the investigation was instigated by someone in the tenant movement who held a personal grudge against me, and this led to several police officers investigating my email and spying on me (and my brother) for 2 months. The cop’s name was Steve Irwin, I recall. The whole thing was printed up in Now magazine – look up ‘Matthew Behrens’ + Now and you’ll find it. Another good example of how our tax dollars are spent.
June 29th, 2008 at 6:44 am
That is terrible what they did to you two. Absolutely unnecesary. They are the terrorists. It is totally unfair just because someone stands up for their rights, freedoms, land, culture traditions etc. we get called terrorists. I am a native person who sticks up for what I beleive in and they will never change that!!
July 1st, 2008 at 8:29 am
Canada is a top contender for the most heinous animal abuse on the planet; considering that there is a direct link between how a society treats it’s animals and how evolved that society is in general, it does not surprise me that there is such a misguided travesty of justice. On a related issue, it is possible that the native rights group involved here supports the continued slaughtering of baby seals for fur and I would like to have some say on this issue. The criteria of “What serves the highest good for all concerned, unto seven generations” for decision making would, I believe, guide toward a new policy for how to make a sustainable living. For indigenous people to make short sighted decisions re: the environment and humane treatment of animals is unforgivable.