Looks like a number of Ontario Conservatives have come out against Julian Fantino's soon-to-be-announced run for Tory MP in the upcoming Vaughan by-election. Their beef--his actions(or lack thereof) in regards to Caledonia and the ongoing clashes between non-natives and natives in the area:
Julian Fantino is a symbol of the Race-Based Policing practices in Caledonia that saw innocent property owners victimized with illegal occupations while OPP officers stood guard for those committing the crimes. His candidacy for the Conservative Party would symbolize that the party has fully embraced racialized policing and the dangerous ideology that innocent victims should be controlled, silenced and targeted for arrest as an alternative to enforcing the law against extremist groups. Julian Fantino has shown scarcely believable bias in favour of native criminals all the while using the full weight of his office to try to intimidate peaceful, law-abiding non-natives into compliance.
The two founders of Conservatives Against Fantino are Gary McHale and Mark Vandermaas. McHale especially is a rabble rouser as much as an activist--several members of the Neo-Nazi Northern Alliance appeared at one of their rallies, and his followers have occasionally described themselves as a militia. Although, that said, he has managed to win several small legal victories against the OPP.
Vandermaas writes a blog devoted the ongoing Caledonia standoff. I don't know what if any previous connection to the CPoC these two might have had before launching their website.
My opinion is that Fantino was in tough in Caledonia, and nothing he could have done would have been beyond criticism. He'll also almost certainly take the seat whatever these two guys get up to. But what the heck. My job here is to upset Conservatives.
Thanks for the link to the Fantino stuff, but I would appreciate it if you would allow me to correct the record a bit.
ReplyDeleteThe accusation by some of some kind of white supremacist association by me/us was convincingly discredited earlier this year when a Six Nations newspaper (the Tekawennake News) published a 'clarification' saying it had NO evidence (after nearly 4 years of our involvement in Caledonia) that we were associated or sympathizers of white supremacist groups.
The paper gave us editorial space in two editions to speak to Six Nations people in our own words in order to correct the same (but more vicious) impression in one of their storie. Our two part series was called called, 'Healing Two Communities.'
Here is a link to Part 1: White Supremacists -- Truth or Fiction?
http://caledoniavictimsproject.wordpress.com/2010/07/15/healing-two-communities-part-1-white-supremacists-truth-or-fiction/
If you have any questions please contact me.
Thanks again,
Mark Vandermaas, Founder
Caledonia Victims Project
info@caledoniavictimsproject.ca
519.457.0709
Sorry, I've been up most of the night so I missed the specificity of your allegation when responding in my original comment.
ReplyDeleteRe: "at least one of his [Gary McHale's] rallies featured members of the Neo-Nazi Northern Alliance"
This is categorically untrue as discussed in the article I linked to in my last comment. Not only do we have no associations with white supremacists, we would not, and did not, "feature" white supremacists at any of our rallies.
Again, I would ask you to see the Tekawenakke 'clarification article I suggested: http://caledoniavictimsproject.wordpress.com/2010/07/15/healing-two-communities-part-1-white-supremacists-truth-or-fiction/
My parents survived Nazi occupation in Holland, and you can see that VoiceofCanada has a graphic icon declaring my support for Israel. The idea of working with white supremacists is disgusting, and it never happened.
Thanks,
Mark Vandermaas
Caledonia Victims Project
VoiceofCanada
Actually, I've changed the wording a bit to indicate that the NA people were there but to remove the implication that McHale et al endorsed them or were responsible for their presence.
ReplyDelete.......but to remove the implication that McHale et al endorsed them or were responsible for their presence.
ReplyDeleteGood boy.
McHale's previous connection to the CPoC is that he ran as an independent against CPoC candidate Diane Finley in Haldimand- Norfolk in 2008. I won't be surprised if we see some official distancing by the CPC in an attempt to put some space between these guys and the party.
ReplyDeleteBTW, when McHale ran against Finley in 2008, Finley got 19,657 votes and McHale got 4,821. The voters weren't buying what he was selling then and they aren't buying it now.
"at least one of his [Gary McHale's] rallies featured members of the Neo-Nazi Northern Alliance"
ReplyDeleteAt the G8-G20 rallies there was Neo-Nazis. Does this mean the labour movement, which held rallies that day, support Neo-Nazis? In fact, the very Neo-Nazis you claim were out at McHale's rally have posted on their website that they do not support McHale because he compares them to Muslim terrorists and McHale quotes from Martin Luther King jr.
BTW: Average person running as an Independant gets 348 votes - McHale got 4,821 votes. This is almost unheard of in Canada. Most people vote based on the party regardless who is running. This mean McHale got 4821 people to change their voting habit - quite amazing.
Christie Blatchford of the Globe and Mail has a book coming out on Oct. 26 - quite supportive of McHale and very much anti-Fantino who she claims to have supportive throughout his whole career.