[Indigsol] New video of police attack on Algonquin blockade online

[mattm-b at resist.ca]

New video of police attack on Algonquin blockade online:

VIEW: http://vimeo.com/1916165

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, October, 7, 2008

Canada and Quebec use riot police, tear gas, and "pain compliance" on
peaceful Algonquin families to avoid negotiations: 'pain compliance' perfect
description of Conservative's aboriginal policy, say community spokespeople

Kitiganik/Rapid Lake, Algonquin Territory / - Yesterday afternoon, the
Conservative government and Quebec used riot police, tear gas, and "pain
compliance" techniques to end a peaceful blockade erected by Algonquin
families from Barriere Lake, rather than negotiate, as requested by the
community. The blockade on Highway 117 in Northern Quebec began at 6:00am
Monday, with nearly a hundred community members of all ages and their
supporters promising to remain until Canada's Conservative government and
Quebec honoured signed agreements and Barriere Lake's leadership customs.
Around 4pm, nearly sixty Quebec officers and riot police encircled families
after a meal and without warning launched tear gas canisters, one of which
hit a child in the chest.

"Our demands are reasonable," said Norman Matchewan, a spokesperson who was
racially slurred by Minister Lawrence Cannon's assistant earlier in the
election. "We're only asking for the government to uphold the agreements
they've signed and to stop illegally interfering in our customary
governance. The message we've received today is that Stephen Harper and Jean
Charest are unwilling to even play by their rules."

"We will not tolerate these brutal violations of our rights," added
Matchewan. "Forestry operations will not be allowed on our Trilateral
agreement territory, and we will be doing more non-violent direct action."

Nine people, including an elderly women, a pregnant woman, and two minors,
were roughly arrested. While a line of police obscured the view of human
rights observers from Christian Peacemaker Teams, officers used severe "pain
compliance" techniques on protestors who had secured themselves to
concrete-filled barrels, twisting arms, dislocating jaws, leaving them with
bruised faces and trouble swallowing.

"In this election alone, the Conservatives have labelled us alcoholics and
vilified our community's majority as "dissidents," said Michel Thusky,
another community spokesperson, referring to an op-ed published by Minister
Lawrence Cannon in regional newspapers. "Now they and Quebec have chosen
violence over meeting their most basic obligations to our community. 'Pain
compliance' is the perfect description of the Conservative government's
aboriginal policies."

Barriere Lake community members had promised to maintain the blockade until
the Government of Canada honoured the 1991 Trilateral agreement, a landmark
sustainable development and resource co-management agreement praised by the
United Nations and the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. To end
federal interference in their leadership customs, they wanted the Government
of Canada to appoint observers to witness a leadership reselection according
to their codified customary selection code, respect its outcome, and then
cease interfering in their internal governance.

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Collectif de Solidarité Lac Barrière
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barrierelakesolidarity at gmail.com
514.398.7432