Caledonia Stand-off: This Morning's Update & Media Round-Up

According the CKRZ FM’ 9am report, all is quiet at the Reclamation Site this morning.

Ontario Hydro is claiming that the electricity is out because of sabotage – presumably the power tower which was brought down to reinforce the new First Nations barricade – and that it will remain out for days.
There’s lots of mainstream news reports out there. The way in which some of them tell the story is (purposefully?) unclear, so it is worth remembering the order of events: First Nations people took down their barricade as a show of good faith, settlers continued to maintain a racist anti-Native barricade, settlers initiated violence against First Nations people, then finally as an act of self-defense the First Nations people re-established their barricade. According to the Toronto Sun after the barricade was first re-established people from the First Nations side were still trying to reason directly with the white mob, offering a truce and de-escalation and still offering to take down the barricade. It was only once this was refused that they brought in heavy machinery and dug up the road.

So please, let’s be clear: above and beyond questions of sovereignty and decolonization, at this point we are talking about actions of legitimate self-defense.

Very quickly:

• Native blockade near Hamilton removed, put back up; tensions high, power cut; May 23rd 2006


• Blockade erupts into violence; May 23rd National Post


• Power out as blockade comes down, goes back up; Vancouver Sun May 23rd


• Blockade goes back up after violent confrontation; Regina Leader-Post May 23rd


• Solidarity blockade blocks highway; Regina Leader-Post May 23rd


• Things cool down at Ont. land claims standoff; CTV May 23rd


• Tense Situation at Caledonia Standoff; 640AM Ma 23rd


• Power cut to 8,000 homes; Toronto Sun May 23rd


• Native unrest there and here; CKNW 980AM May 23rd


• Optimism turns sour at protest; Toronto star May 23rd


• Residents split over blockade; Toronto Star May 23rd


• Peterson fears another Oka; Hamilton Spectator May 23rd


• Vandalism caused power loss, hydro says; May 23rd 2006


• CALEDONIA ERUPTS: Emergency declared, schools closed; Hamilton Spectator May 23rd


• Caledonia residents divided on whether violence justified; Hamilton Spectator May 23rd


• Riot Police Arrive in Caledonia; CFRA 580AM May 23rd


• Caledonia clash turns violent; Toronto Sun May 22nd


• Caledonia talks on hold after brawling, vandalism; CBC May 22nd

Categories: caledonia-reclamation-2006