Author
AfterFostercare
http://ontario.indymedia.ca/twiki/pub/Ontario/m3u/2004/homelesspolicera…
Police Raid Camp
by AfterFostercare
The police moved in on the camp in the overnight hour of 1:12am Friday August 27th 2004, (Thursday Night) during the rain, when most people would not be out on the street to witness. The electronic network was informed via email and local news media were called to go down and visit.
The next move is to setup a 24hr vigil to watch the site.... more to come on this from Jane Scharf.
Please call the Ottawa police at 613-236-1222 to voice your concern!
Does this have anything to do with the Mayor's Walk For Volunteerism http://www.volunteerottawa.ca comming on September 11th 2004? Clearing out the city's negative side in time for the event? Just a suggestion for any one.
Press Release From Jane Scharf
Jane Scharf’s Plans to Confront the Mayor
Jane Scharf is outraged by the blatant, unabashed use of force against peaceful, homeless protestors. At about 1:15 am last night in the rain Ottawa Police shut down the Homeless Action Strike.
Jane Scharf intends to attend at Mayor Chiarelli's office today at 4:00 pm to demand the agreed upon resolution to the strike. Jane will be risking 8 months in jail to attempt this confrontation about the mayors on going use of police force against peaceful protestors.
Negotiators for the strike had meet with the mayor on August 24 but no deal was reached.
On July 26 a deal was reached in principle between the mayors office and the protestors.
The negotiations were facilitated by Sean McKenny? of the Ottawa District Labour Council.
At approximately 4:30 pm the mayors office sent a letter which was to outline the deal struck.
There was one item missing from the letter that had been agreed to and that was for there to be an inquiry into police intervention with protests. The Mayors office agreed to amend this letter accordingly at 5:00 pm.
There was also one more item to be clarified and that was the use of the term casual labour rather than the term Diane Holms had used which was unstructured business.
Although a deal had been strike and in good faith the housing assessment of the protestors had begun and a date and time of vacation had been announced Sergeant Lamonth advised Khalid Asfar at the time of the raid that it was the mayors office that ordered the shut down.
When Police moved in one of the first things they did was slash a sign about the history of the land and the human rights monument.
The sign read:
"The Land on which this structure stands is part of the traditional territories of the Algonquin Anisnabe people whose current home is a reserve at Golden Lake. We have occupied these lands since time immemorial. It is fitting that this symbol should stand here as a reminder of the suffering of oppressed people everywhere and of our faith in the wisdom of the great spirit and the promise of life, dignity, freedom and equality for all living beings. We welcome all who come here to share in our hope."
This deeply disturbed the homeless protesters as the police left the slashed sign flapping in the wind for some time before taking it down.
Jane Scharf was arrested and placed on bailing conditions July 18 to keep her away for the protest site. On one occasion she entered this area to attend court and was arrest for 2 breaches of conditions for the same act and on another occasion she entered this area to respond to an emergency and she was arrested for 1 breach of conditions. She was told in court on August 25 that she would not be released again if she breaches these conditions again.
"I have no choice", Jane says. "I believe the courts will eventually establish the justice and truth involved here if I do not back down."
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