Canada: Clashes continue in Caledonia

A violent clash between Caledonia residents and Six Nations protesters ignited late Sunday night -- less than 48 hours before today's judgment on whether police will be ordered to remove the natives from the development site. Clashes continue in Caledonia

Police may be ordered to remove natives from sight today

DEIRDRE HEALEY, Guelph Mercury
Aug 8, 2006

A violent clash between Caledonia residents and Six Nations protesters ignited late Sunday night -- less than 48 hours before today's judgment on whether police will be ordered to remove the natives from the development site.

About 100 residents crowded on Braemar Avenue just before midnight to face off against native protesters gathered metres away on the development site.

The shouting back and forth escalated to rocks and golf balls flying from both sides, hitting a Caledonia resident, an occupier and a police officer.

Police said no one was seriously injured, but vehicles and property were damaged. Officers showed up in riot gear and crowds eventually dispersed by 2:30 a.m.

The clash between the two sides was sparked by several incidents throughout the day, police said.

Steve Tong, who lives on Braemar, said the natives set up a new camp near the neighbourhood during the day, lighting a fire and posting two warrior flags. Residents' anger grew when a couple of native youths cut the maple leaf out of a Canadian flag, taunting onlookers. Residents responded by making signs conveying natives as terrorists and posting them along Argyle Street.

"It was these little things happening back and forth that raised the tension between the two groups and escalated to rocks being thrown at each other," said Dennis Harwood, Ontario Provincial Police spokesperson.

The violent incident comes on the heels of Ontario Court Justice David Marshall deciding today in Cayuga whether to enforce an injunction ordering native protesters off Douglas Creek Estates.

Six Nations spokesperson Janie Jamieson said the Caledonia residents "instigated" Sunday night's battle as a way of persuading Marshal's decision.

"They want to put us in a defensive position to prove we are lawless," Jamieson said.

However, Tong said the clash was not intentional and the natives have been holding the neighbourhood "under siege" since the occupation began Feb. 28.

"Life is not back to normal," he said."It's just a matter of time before something happens again."