Joanne Smith
Hagi
Framing & Art Center
Brand New You
Marlin Travel
Wayne Toyota
Bayshore Home Health
News
Click here to see more
Subscribe
Community Calendar
Click here for full listings.
Poll
Polls are not available.
Polls are not available.
View Results Past Polls

Market Research

Do you own your own home?
Who's Modo
User Submitted Photo Gallery
Submit Your Own Photos
Email
2013-01-17 at 16:28

Truck drives through blockade, video posted on Youtube

By tbnewswatch.com
Do you want to BREAK YOUR BANK?Banks put holds your cheques. They make you wait in line. Choose a better, quicker option. Visit XTRA CASH! Click here for full list of services

OPP in Fort Frances are investigating a potentially dangerous incident that took place at a Wednesday Idle No More protest in that community.

A group of demonstrators held a Unity Dance in the middle of one of the town's busier intersections Wednesday afternoon. A video posted on YouTube shows the driver of a red pick-up truck attempting to drive around the protesters.

The vehicle makes contact with one person several times before moving through the intersection.

Story continues after video ...

 

The protesters lock arms to try to stop the vehicle from advancing, but the driver eventually manages to get through the crowd and drive away.

OPP Acting Sgt. Anne McCoy says when the incident occurred, their officers were keeping their distance about a block away, and were on the scene almost immediately.

McCoy says they have been made aware of two videos and several photos to aid in their investigation. But so far, no charges have been laid.

(Thunder Bay Television)

 

Click here to submit a letter to the editor.
iCar

Click here to report a typo or error

Tbnewswatch.com(57)

Comments

We've improved our comment system.
glass half full says:
The COPS were present and allowing people to continue blocking a road way. They did nothing to stop the protesters.

The police are at fault here, the officers watching doing nothing to stop the blocked road way should be fired.. Plain and simple..
1/17/2013 4:57:18 PM
crowbar says:
What is so hard about just standing on the side of the road.

The people you want on your side to help your cause are the ones you are pissing off the most.

I don't believe that driver should receive any type of charge.

I think for the safety of the protesters, the police should be moving them off the road, because sooner or later someone is going to get really pissed off and do something that is going to spark a very violent and deadly wave across Canada.

Good luck.
1/17/2013 5:00:57 PM
lance says:
They are purposely preventing people from getting to their destinations. This is unacceptable behavior and they should be ashamed of themselves
1/17/2013 5:14:38 PM
DRL1979 says:
What is wrong with you people? The driver was willing to hit someone with their own vehicle. How is that the fault of the protesters? What if that was you or your family that the driver drove into? Lance says that the protestors behaviour was unacceptable and they should be ashamed. Okay lets start giving rewards to those who use their vehicles as weapons. Sounds like a great idea. Use your head.
1/17/2013 5:23:07 PM
sky high says:
If that guy gets charged that is unbelievable. The person came in contact with the vehicle, not the other way around. The driver of that truck pays taxes to drive on that road. If we stopped a float plane from leaving a remote reserve would we be thrown in jail? YES
1/17/2013 5:34:47 PM
rdoyle says:
I applaud the driver of the truck. The road is for traffic. People need to get places. I would have done the same thing. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BLOCK THE ROAD. I have no problem with the Idle no more protest. I do have a problem when you are blocking highways/roads/railroads.
1/17/2013 5:48:08 PM
Fluffy says:
The driver is fed up like the rest of us. Blame police management, not the officers on the side of the road.
1/17/2013 5:52:04 PM
Watchmaker says:
Ok then Lance - I was prevented from getting to my destination by a lengthy demonstration with music and decorated vehicles in early December. The police were present, and did nothing to prevent this, even when the crimson-clad ring leader pelted onlookers with hard objects. Should the police have arrested the demonstrators?
1/17/2013 5:55:22 PM
DougMyers says:
If I am reading between the lines correctly, the incident you are talking about had a parade permit to legally close down the road for a specified period of time, with advance notice to everyone of said approvals.

Apples to oranges.
1/18/2013 10:59:31 AM
ThunderTorch says:
Right of way if you're in a crosswalk, this is pretty much jay walking LOL
1/17/2013 6:06:31 PM
Dougmyers says:
Exactly what will happen if you illegally block my way and intentionally try to block my vehicle.

I will gladly contest any charges in a court of law.

1/17/2013 6:17:00 PM
Blue says:
OPP it is time YOU took charge of these situations BEFORE someone gets injured.
1/17/2013 6:17:42 PM
publicdomain says:
I understand their protest, and even support the FN people. But I think there is something wrong here. If I tried to block a roadway with a dance in protest, I would be charged. No questions asked.
1/17/2013 6:48:51 PM
northenontario22 says:
ya and that one guy keeps jumping right infront of the truck, and the cops were doing nothing??? I heard some of the people at a different one were alowed to pass by but when you did they were hitting and slapping your vehicle and almost jumping on your bumper and the OPP did nothing. Come on!!!
1/17/2013 6:57:11 PM
laurie says:
People are tired of the blockades ... Protesters are holding up people trying to work, get to appointments ..

Hope the trucker kept moving at the end of the video!
1/17/2013 8:11:51 PM
mudhens33 says:
Nice to see that the OPP is doing something about the protestors..oh wait, no they aren't..I am confused, I thought we lived in a world with laws, and if you break the laws then you pay the price..idle no more should be no more
1/17/2013 8:19:56 PM
Molly says:
O.P.P.

Ontario Provincial( Politically Correct ) Police

Great men and women but always led by politically correct R.E.M F. Managers
1/17/2013 9:01:42 PM
Molly says:
Police have a tough job and get criticized from all sides. Their job requires the application of judgment and tact. That is understood. But the OPP in particular have, since Ipperwash, ventured beyond tact into abject spinelessness. Their “Framework for Police Preparedness For Aboriginal Critical Incidents” reads like a sophomore course in sensitivity training, spiced with Dalton McGuinty-esque mush. Nowhere, that I can see, does the document contain the words “enforce the law.”

Police may believe they are doing themselves, Idle No More and society at large a favour by sitting on their hands. Wrong, on all counts. If the blockades continue, the movement, such as it is, will be discredited. The Harper Conservatives will find themselves boxed in by an angry electorate. And hopes of achieving a new deal for aboriginal Canadians, already faint, will flicker and die.
1/17/2013 9:21:45 PM
milkman1000 says:
I really enjoyed this comment, it was so well written and to the point! good for you Michael Den Tandt, Postmedia . Way to pass it off as your own there Molly, oppsey ya people read other media

News+blockades+will+cripple+Idle+More/7835054/story.html
1/18/2013 11:47:03 AM
tsb says:
Blockades are hurting the cause of Idle No More, but that driver is still a dick for what he did.

I guess we should cancel the Santa Claus Parade. That thing throws the entire city into traffic chaos.
1/17/2013 11:17:41 PM
Sailsup says:
It appears the driver of the truck did have a green light....lol. Just sayin
1/17/2013 11:19:08 PM
MD says:
Ya, but that was an illegal left turn! There's no left turns onto Portage Ave from Scott St. Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm. Check out the sign at the 39/40 sec mark in the video. I'm fine with the driver trying to get through the blockade but making an illegal turn now that’s crossing the line.
1/18/2013 11:11:52 AM
spinthebig4 says:
I respect the determination of this group of people standing up against a brutal system of oppression.
1/17/2013 11:19:48 PM
northerngardener says:
Unlawful assembly for protesting and obstructing traffic are not generally well received methods of getting a point across. People get angry, and backs get up in the air when you negatively impact someones need to be on work on time. If Idle No More "presentations" were done in a considerate way to others that also live in the community, we might just be more willing to listen!
1/17/2013 11:36:09 PM
alarmforce says:
To "Glass Half Full" the Police are doing what our Wonderful Liberal Gov't have directed them to do. Should you not be satisfied with this action, then I suggest you, like I will vote them out of power and elect a Government that will represent the majority of the people they represent and prosecute those who break the law, no make of race, religion, etc... "This is CANADA"!!
1/18/2013 12:17:07 AM
stopthehandouts says:
reading the youtube comments for this video just made my day
1/18/2013 4:33:11 AM
yqt says:
At least on youtube you can see what people really think. Not like this chicken poop website that scared or it's own shadow.
1/18/2013 11:45:45 AM
The Wolf says:
All politics aside and no mention of what is right and what is being done wrong.

I applaud the protesters for remaining peaceful. That gentleman could of started to bang on the hood of that truck which would of resulted in a bad situation.
1/18/2013 8:29:04 AM
becker says:
If that driver gets charged, and the protesters do not get charged for blocking traffic on the street, this will not only severely hurt their cause but could lead to more civil unrest. They are not winning the respect of people with rallies like this.
1/18/2013 8:50:39 AM
lance says:
No1 is disagreeing with you Ranma, calm down and dont be so defensive all the time
1/18/2013 8:54:13 AM
jest4fun says:
It's not a protest. It is a blockade. If it was truly a protest they would not feel it necessary to block roadways and rail lines.
1/18/2013 9:13:01 AM
DougMyers says:
I think the driver did the best he could in a bad situation.

So much for law and order as our so called "police" stand by and watch as a group of people illegally detains a vehicle on a public street.

Given the circumstances, the driver did the best he could and tried to avoid making things worse.

Usually the purpose of a protest is to raise awareness and gain support for the cause at hand. In situations like this, the protestors are doing neither. They are simply causing a disturbance adn for some reason are above the law?
1/18/2013 9:26:24 AM
sinjo says:
If I blocked an entrance to a Tim Hortons for 5 minutes there would be like 5 police cars there to remove my vehicle.
1/18/2013 10:42:19 AM
stuck? says:
At least it's on video that buddy kept trying to walk in front of this man who was carefully trying to GO AROUND the blockade.

In his efforts to NOT hit these people, the demonstrators continued to walk in front of this vehicle, endangering THEMSELVES.

Not the trucks fault for trying to get somewhere they need to be.

I'm all for the movement, but when it comes down to it... actually MOVE. Don't sit there being a stick in the mud.
1/18/2013 11:38:24 AM
advocate says:
The vehicle did not try to hit the protesters. The protested tried to hit the vehicle.

He was going extremely slow and they decided to walk right into it.
1/18/2013 12:14:08 PM
Glitterbug says:
Well said, ranma.
1/18/2013 12:39:55 PM
Molly says:
Milkman
Your entirely correct . My line attributing the comment to the source was ommited
1/18/2013 4:05:20 PM
TIC says:
TBNewsWatch you do know this is not the first time this has happened right? This also happened in Edmonton and personally I would do the same thing. These so called protesters should not be touching and or trying to force people to sit and watch them. In fact I do believe it states in some if not more treaties that the FN agree not to harass or molest anyone traveling through any area in the country and that if there is someone doing so that they are to help bring that person to justice. Look it up it is a good read.
1/18/2013 4:46:40 PM
lance says:
ranma, would you like a box of tissue since bad ole TBT took down your post, grow up !!
1/18/2013 6:37:37 PM
barry medawin says:
Stand up for your rights brothers and sisters! Next time use chains and run a gate across the road!!
1/18/2013 8:34:24 PM
tbayfinn says:
The "right" to blockade public roads....huh?? Attempting to permanently block a public road with a gate will push this confrontation to a breaking point, which is where it is likely headed. One violent incident will trigger many confrontations and this "protest" will degenergate severly. I fear for the future in this country when that happens.
1/19/2013 10:29:14 AM
becker says:
What!?!?!?! Are you kidding me?!?! Put up a gate and use chains??? All I see from protesters is that they are "Just trying to raise awareness and gain Support". How in gods name do you expect to get ANY support by blocking peoples traffic, you have just angered people severely and hurt your own cause. You have NO right whatsoever to block roads and highways and why you seem to think that this is right is a complete joke. Peaceful protest my foot!
1/19/2013 11:19:11 AM
barry medawin says:
Oh no... "angered people"?! We don't want that!

I wonder if anyone was angry when these lands were stripped bare for the senseless pulp and paper industry? Paved over so you can get to your WallMart quicker?

Well, we sure don't want to anger anyone eh!
1/19/2013 4:20:40 PM
stuck? says:
Please don't feed the trolls.
1/21/2013 10:25:29 AM
dad3192 says:
because if the cops do anything they r deemed to be "racist" and get no support from their administrations...therefore they become the scapegoat in a politgical folly and have their names dragged thru the mud.
Sad state of affairs that no higher ups in any department will stand strong and do what is right,...
we continue to bow to the pressure of being politically correct..
1/18/2013 10:56:49 PM
ranma says:
The longer the police do nothing about these illegal actions, the more likely it will be that a citizen will take matters into their own hands, and someone will either be hurt, or killed. How long until motorists don't stop at these illegal blockades and runs them? Our patience is running thin with the lack of action from the authorities.
1/19/2013 1:39:39 AM
lboc says:
Reading these comments just reminds me why it took so many years to move back to Northwestern Ontario. The racism in this area is shameful. If this protest had been put on by a group of middle class white teachers or union activists this incident never would have happened. Reading these make me ashamed of the white ace and only hope that I am raising my children to be better than the rest of you. Idle No More is a very important and empowering happening. Keep up the good work.
1/19/2013 9:31:59 AM
eddylives says:
So when can the rest of Canada stand up for their rights in the same fashion?
Not until the law of the land is enforced equally......
I have no respect for any group of people that think they are above the law and can disrupt the lives of Canadians by commiting illegal acts.
Idle no more is causing more damage to their cause than good with their actions and the rest of Canada does not have to put up with it.
I can only hope that a tragedy does not occur before the law enforcers do their job.
Time for the government to step up and take the bull by the horns for once and stop these actions before its too late.
1/19/2013 1:45:20 PM
dman31029 says:
IF being the key word. It wasn't middle class teachers or union activtists. I recall the teachers marching along the sidewalk not blocking traffic just a few weeks ago.
1/19/2013 2:39:28 PM
tbayfinn says:
No one has the right to blockade a public street whether natives, union activists, teachers whatever and the incident would have been the same. I fail to see any crime here, the driver was carefully trying to drive around the people and they intentionally stepped in front of hi vehicle.

Idle No More is a protest movement driven my misinformation. There is no common message other that "wake up governmnent is bad". Well that is the way our democracy works and the government is elected to make policy based on their constituent's desires. Using civil disobedience to get your way is the path to violence and anarchy. I have no desire to live in that "empowered" country.
1/19/2013 4:03:37 PM
becker says:
ok, that is enough. Tell me EXACTLY what is racist, and I mean that. Tell me, citing and using the definition of racism, what comments on here are racist? Are you saying, that because people do not agree with roadblocks and the entire movement, they are racist? Because people are upset by this, they are racist? Please enlighten us, what is racist here? Thats the problem, this is why the native are allowed to just do as they please by using blockades, or not wanting to be held accountable for misplaced finances. As soon as they get one ounce of resistance....RACISM, thats what it is, and everybody backs down. If anything is disgusting its your use of the word racism towards people who do not agree. Oh wait, maybes its a scare tactic right? If you do not support Idle No More, you are a racist. Get real.
1/19/2013 4:29:46 PM
laurie says:
lboc - how would you like to be stuck for 9 hours trying to get home? they blocked the train tracks and via rail couldn't get through and had to bus people...

how would you like to be stuck for over 4 hours on a highway with no access to bathrooms?

people are getting fed up and they are taking their own actions ...
1/19/2013 3:01:59 PM
barry medawin says:
That doesn't sound any more fun than being corralled onto 100 acres of swamp land while your traditional hunting grounds are mowed over to make room for KMart and condos.
1/19/2013 7:38:22 PM
Slyder says:
Hey Barry,

An excerpt from treaty 9, which I believe covers this region or at least a number of Bands in the area, where members currently live in T-Bay:

“….The Indians were informed that by signing the treaty they pledged themselves not to interfere with white men who might come into the country surveying, prospecting, hunting, or in other occupations; that they must respect the laws of the land in every particular, and that their reserves were set apart for them in order…”
1/20/2013 2:30:54 PM
notsurprised says:
Why are people comparing a protest that is blocking roadways and railways to a Santa Clause parade? If I was on my way to work to earn a paycheck and to earn my way in this world, I would have done the exact same thing as the driver of that truck. Not only did that driver try to warn the protestor numerous times that he was going through, but in my opinion he demonstrated alot of retraint.
1/19/2013 10:44:43 PM
anvil of crom says:
lets all encourage safety out there folks.
Its not right to drive through a legal demonstration , BUT that being said if situations like this arise more often, its time to remove and or not approve a legal protest in the interest of their safety.
nuff said...
1/20/2013 9:52:21 PM
harcur080 says:
Your right it is not right to drive through a legal demonstration.Which one of the protests has gotten a permit to shut down the road or railway and become legal.It is illegal to block a road or a railway however so what are you blithering about.
1/21/2013 5:16:21 PM
Comments for this story are semi-moderated. Read our comment guideline.

Add a new comment.
You must log in to add comments.
Create a new account
Forgot password?
Log In
 
 
© 2013 Dougall Media.