Racial Profiling of Native Protesters – Ridiculous!

Today, native protesters closed a major bridge because of an on-going conflict between them and the local law enforcement agencies.

Dozens of members of the Mohawk community from the Akwesasne reserve have blocked off a portion of the Skyway Bridge, which runs just east of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, between Belleville and Kingston. The protesting natives are angry about what they say is an increase in racial profiling and harassment from the Canadian Border Services Agency, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and local police agencies, since the arming of Canadian border crossing guards.

Some of the protesters are saying they will not leave the bridge until the Canadian Federal government includes them in talks about the arming of border guards.

Native protesters – including ones from this very same reserve – have participated in long and violent protests in the past, where the protests lasted for months, and people have been shot and beat up.

Is it any wonder why the police are being accused of using racial profiling? It isn’t so much racial profiling as just good common sense. In previous protests, these native groups have thrown rocks, used clubs and sticks and even rifles and shotguns on police, and others who dared to cross their protest.

I still remember the news reports from many of the past reports, watching as these characters wore hoods and ball caps over their heads and bandannas over their faces, to hide their identities. They always claimed they were peacefully protesting their rights, but I always wondered if they are so peaceful, how come they hide who they really are? Peaceful people don’t have to dress up like terrorists to conceal themselves.

And that is because although these native protesters claim to be peaceful, they are anything but. They may start off with good intentions, but as soon as the police arrive to ensure the peace remains, they grab a stick, a rock, or a gun and take up a defensive, hostile, war-like stance.

That’s why they dress just like terrorists – they are ready to kill peaceful people for what they believe in.

Perhaps if these protesters didn’t want the police to show up ready for a fight, these very same protesters wouldn’t put up a fight in the first place. They shouldn’t dress like terrorists, bring weapons, and when the local “fuzz” arrives, they shouldn’t start throwing rocks, sticks, and firing off rounds from sawed off shotguns.

I can see why the Canadian government doesn’t have these natives represented at the bargaining table – would you invite someone to your home or office who may come ready to kill – complete with G.I. Joe getup, shotgun in hand, ready to fight at the drop of a hat?

Still, after over twenty-years of violent native protests – these have been a regular summer feature since the 1980’s if not longer – the protesters haven’t learned what it means to hold a peaceful demonstration.

And that is why it appears the police are racially profiling them – because peace to these protesters is anything but peaceful.