[IPSM] Akwesasne Update: "No guns!" Mohawks vow to resist armed border guards | Resistance Mohawk contre les douaniers armés

[No One Is Illegal Montreal]

[English below]
 [Une delegation des militantes de Montréal – incluant une membre de
Personne n’est illégal-Montréal -- est présentement à Akwesasne (territoire
Mohawk, à la frontière de l'Ontario, New York et Québec) comme témoins de la
résistance communautaire contre les douaniers armés. Quelques articles
expliquant la situation, principalement en anglais, mais aussi en français,
sont ci-dessous. Il y aura des mises à jour de la situation à Akwesasne sur
le blogue de Personne n’est illégal ici :
http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com/2009/06/akwesasne.html ]

----------

“[The Canadian Border Service Agency] is a foreign oppressive force who
occupies our sovereign community and territory. (They are) unwelcome,
uninvited and now carrying firearms. For lack of a different description,
that is considered by some an act of war.” – Larry King, member of the
Akwesasne Mohawk Territory (quoted in Ottawa Citizen, May 29, 2009)

[A delegation of three non-native Montreal activists, including a member of
No One Is Illegal-Montreal, is currently at the site of protesters at the
Kawehnoke Port of Entry (Cornwall Island) on the Mohawk Territory of
Akwesasne. Native protesters at Akwesasne are welcoming allies to stand in
solidarity, and to witness their efforts to resist the imposition of armed
guards on Mohawk territory.


The No One Is Illegal-Montreal website will have updates directly from
Akwesasne, as well as maintain a mainstream and alternative news
compilation, at the following link:
http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com/2009/06/akwesasne.html ]


-- CBSA guards abandon posts
-- Seaway International Bridge is blocked to vehicular traffic by police
-- Protesters maintain presence at border crossing

Update – 5:35am
Monday, June 1, 2009

Dawn is breaking on the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne, where local residents
have protested for months to oppose the arming of Canadian Borders Services
Agency (CBSA) guards on their territory. More than 50 protesters are
maintaining a presence near the Canadian customs building on Cornwall
Island. There are at least five fires burning to keep demonstrators warm.
Many more residents and supporters are expected to be on-site as the morning
progresses.

According to residents of Akwesasne (as well as mainstream media reports),
CBSA border agents abandoned their posts just before midnight, out of fear
of reprisals from the community. CBSA agents were due to be armed at the
Port of Cornwall crossing on June 1, a policy universally opposed and
condemned by the Akwesasne Mohawk Community.

Vehicular traffic onto the Seaway International Bridge has been shut down by
police on both sides of the border, although pedestrians are still being
allowed to access the bridge.

The Mohawk territory of Akwesasne straddles the jurisdictions of Ontario,
Quebec and New York State, and is a major international border crossing
between Canada and the United States. CBSA guards began arming in 2007, and
there are currently more than 800 armed CBSA guards across Canada. The
entire CBSA aims to be armed, in stages, by 2016. The CBSA announced that
their agents at the Port of Cornwall would be armed by June 1 of this year.



SELECTED NEWS & INFORMATION COMPILATION

June 1, 2009

Cornwall Standard-Freeholder: U.S.-Canada border closed by Akwesasne protest
of guns at crossing; Border guards leave posts for U.S.
http://www.standard-freeholder.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1591962

Ottawa Citizen: Armed border guards abandon posts on First Nation
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Armed+border+guards+abandon+posts+First+Nation/1649395/story.html

Radio-Canada: Les Mohawks ne décolèrent pas
http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/ottawa/2009/05/31/002-mohawks_douaniers_armes_colere.shtml



May 30, 2009

Mohawk Nation News (MNN): Akwesasne Unity March
http://www.mohawknationnews.com/news/singlenews.php?lang=en&layout=mnn&category=26&newsnr=716&backurl=%2Fnews%2Fnews4.php%3Flang%3Den%26layout%3Dmnn%26category%3D26%26sortorder%3D0%26start%3D0&srcscript=/news/news4.php



May 29, 2009

Ottawa Citizen: Plan to arm borders guards an “act of war”
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Armed+border+guards/1644877/story.html

Mohawk Nation News (MNN): UN asked to stop guns at Akwesasne border
http://www.mohawknationnews.com/news/singlenews.php?lang=en&layout=mnn&category=26&newsnr=715&backurl=%2Fnews%2Fnews4.php%3Flang%3Den%26layout%3Dmnn%26category%3D26%26sortorder%3D0%26start%3D0&srcscript=/news/news4.php



May 28, 2009

Mohawk Nation News (MNN): There will be no guns! “You are on Indian Land”
http://www.mohawknationnews.com/news/singlenews.php?lang=en&layout=mnn&category=26&newsnr=714&backurl=%2Fnews%2Fnews4.php%3Flang%3Den%26layout%3Dmnn%26category%3D26%26sortorder%3D0%26start%3D0&srcscript=/news/news4.php



19 mai, 2009

Radio-Canada: Forte opposition aux douaniers armés
http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/National/2009/05/19/003-akwasasne-douaniers-armes.shtml



May 12, 2009

Mohawk Nation News (MNN): 41-year legacy of Mohawk resistance at Akwesasne
border
http://www.mohawknationnews.com/news/singlenews.php?lang=en&layout=mnn&category=26&newsnr=709&backurl=%2Fnews%2Fnews4.php%3Flang%3Den%26layout%3Dmnn%26category%3D26%26sortorder%3D0%26start%3D0&srcscript=/news/news4.php



May 9, 2009

Canadian Border Services Agency: CBSA officers will begin carrying duty
firearms on June 1, 2009, at the Port of Cornwall
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/media/release-communique/2009/2009-05-09-eng.html



9 mai 2009

Agence des services frontaliers du Canada: Les agents de l'ASFC du poste
frontalier de Cornwall seront dotés d'armes à feu de service à compter du
1er juin 2009
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/media/release-communique/2009/2009-05-09-fra.html



May 3, 2009

Mohawk Nation News (MNN): Armed Border Guards at Akwesasne?
<http://www.mohawknationnews.com/news/singlenews.php?lang=en&layout=mnn&category=26&newsnr=707&backurl=%2Fnews%2Fnews4.php%3Flang%3Den%26layout%3Dmnn%26category%3D26%26sortorder%3D0%26start%3D0&srcscript=/news/news4.php>
http://www.mohawknationnews.com/news/singlenews.php?lang=en&layout=mnn&category=26&newsnr=707&backurl=%2Fnews%2Fnews4.php%3Flang%3Den%26layout%3Dmnn%26category%3D26%26sortorder%3D0%26start%3D0&srcscript=/news/news4.php
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