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OTTAWA (CUP) 4-— RCMP riot squad officers forced close to 300 militant Indian dem— onstrators off Parliament Hill on Sept. 30 in the sec- ond pitched battle between the two groups. I

The riot squad appeared from nowhere and forced the demonstrators back down the steps they had won in a pre- vious battle, off the Hill, out onto Metcalfe Street and back to Indian head* quarters.

During the skirmish, riot squad officers pushed people off the stone wall on top to the Hill, a fifteen foot drop, and down the stairs using their clubs liberally on bystanders as well as demonstrators.

Earlier in the day the Indians marched from an abandoned government build— ing eight blocks below Par-‘ liament Hill, up Rideau Street to the Hill before being met by a solid wall of RCMP officers and a wooden barricade. The Ind- ians’fought the RCMP for about 20 feet before they were stopped. RCMP officers kicked protestors in the

. \ groin and ganged up on

individual Indians who broke

through the lines. One hun- dred soldiers armed with bayonets provided the Color guard for Parliament Hill and later a back up for the RCMP.

The Indians remained on the

Hill beating_their drums, ' singing and making speeches for about two hours while Parliament was in séssion.’ They booed the army band playing 0 Canada and also booed Chief Justice Bora Laskin when he appeared to review the guard, after the session ended. ' Violence erupted again when the RCMP started push- ing people/off the steps of the House of Commons. Then the riot squad appeared and ordered eyeryone off the

.k\,

Graphic from Akwesasne Notes

brutally suppress indium de

Hill. The Indians fought r back throwing rocks, bottles and sticks.

During the fighting Don Whiteside of the Canadian Federation of Civil Liber— ties was beaten by riot police as he tried to ex— plain who he was.

"For the riot police to come in and beat people _ indiscriminately is inexé cusable," Whiteside said.

Charlotte McEwan, an elderly Ottawa activist, was also pushed to the ground by the police rush.

"They were pushing every— body down those steps and you know what 20 concrete steps can do. There were quite a few bloody faces," she said. ' v

Bob Buckingham, National Union of Students organizer and a participant in the demonstration said,"I think it's a disgrace. It's symp— tomatic of the way the Indian in this country is treated by the white man's government."

He was disgusted that no member of Parliament came out to talk to the demon- strators and Chief Justice Bora Laskin did not even acknowledge their presence.

He went back to lodge a complaint with his member of Parliament and discovered that all the MPs were "hob- nobbing and having a booze

,party," in the Parliament

buildings.

Indian leaders were not available for comment as they had returned to—their headquarters for a private strategy session. ,

The charge of the’riot

[squad was ordered by Super-

’/

pyou go back where you came from?"

intendent Marcel Sauve, officer in charge of the

Criminal Investigation Branch, A Division, Ottawa, of the RCMP.

"It had become an unruly crowd. Our men were being_

beaten with rocks and sticks

and had taken all measures possible to disperse the crowd. Three of our men were injured slightly and

\ treated in a local hospital.

Afterwards we picked up spikes and chains and other weapons," he Said.

Canadian Universiy Press reporters who were in the

°midst of the fighting saw only belts and picket signs in the hands of the demons strators. Other reporters at the scene also say they saw no other weapons in the hands of the Indians.

Sauve refused to say how many RCMP officers were at the demonstration stating only that‘"they had.adequ— ate reserves, including the

riot squad over and above the

number that were seen." "We had carefplly plan— ned this operation in con- 'junction with the Ottawa police," said Sauve. There were 20 Ottawa policemen , guarding the American em— bassy during the demonstra- tion.

When asked to comment on the statement_made by Don Whiteside, Sauve said only that "we have no comment to make on that statement."

Over 20 arrests were made by the RCMP, most of ‘ them in the second battle. Ottawa police say that two of the Indians will be 'charged with obstructing

the police but other charges

are as yet unknown. All arrests were made by the RCMP and processed by the Ottawa police. \

WIf you don't like it here in Canada why don't

'Graphic from the Denver Post

:"Board of Governors, Senate

\

'e/stas 'sver? Q 4,.~ THE CADRE, OCTOBER 8, 1974,

Monslmlion

PAGE

The Indians arrived in Ottawa, Sunday night and took over an abandoned gov— ernment building, saying that they would stay until Minister of Indian Affairs Judd Buchanan met with them.

While the Indians were on the Hill'they shouted to the RCMP and soldiers that they "didn't come 4,000 miles to stop here. We'd rather die here than in your institutions." I

During the speeches Louis Cameron, leader of the Ojibway Warriors Society who occupied a Kenora park earlier this summer, read a manifesto and list of demands that they wanted met by the government.

"We the native peoples have banded to come to Ottawa seeking justice.

We are here to talk about the right of all people to live as free people. For many years we have received promises instead of human rights, instead of justice; we are here to say the people cannot live on prom- ises.

"Today our people exist in the midst of the Canadian extension of European com? petitive values. Today our people have alcoholism, they have no education, no work, no housing. Today our people have no respect.

"We are here to talk about violence. We are against violence. The violence of racism, poverty, economic dependence, alcoholism, land theft and educational warfare. This is the vio- lence that has hurt our people. We say it is time for the democracy of Canada to end its political and social violence against our‘people.

"We say it is time for the Canadian political system to be reasonable and listen to the voice of our community. We say you have been unreasonable. The proof is evident in the condition our people exist in. Since politicians have taken control of our lives the destruction of our communities has increased.

, "This time we are still willing to talk but we will not sit idly to the side while the desté ruction of our people is

. completed. We only seek to

live as free people. It is the way of the land and its children. The will of the people to bé free is supreme. The right of the people to be free is divine."

PAUL MITCHELL AND KEITH REYNOLDS

or Council it may be for you."

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