This has been a huge story in Canada for the last couple days. The RCMP pepper sprayed a crowd during a traffic altercation. It all happened on the Native band land, no one had any weapons, there was no alcohol involved, and in the crowd were a lot of kids and two babies.
Fourteen people -- six of them children -- were hospitalized, with Kayden the youngest casualty, after a procession of 20 vehicles from the Sechelt Nation on the Sunshine Coast celebrating the victory of two teams in a youth soccer tourney erupted into a pepper-spray battle with police at about 6 p.m. Monday.
Crossposted on A Creative Revolution Now a whole two days old!
Sechelt band wants answers after RCMP uses pepper spray
The officer who decided to "intervene" here was unaware of a 40 year tradition. That tradition is a procession after a soccer tournament. In pick ups, with horns, and lots of yelling, on the Sechelt Native reserve.
I watched the film someone took at the scene. Its loud, and theres lots of swearing from the crowd. Heres a youtube video of a newscast about the incident:
In the film the RCMP officers were arresting the driver of the lead pickup, and the crowd was chanting BULLSHIT! BULLSHIT!...
It seems the cop lost his cool when a woman approached holding a baby. Indeed, from what I could see it looked like the cop was aiming specifically at her and the baby.
They called for backup, and two more police cars arrived. But the crowd would not back down, she said.
Clearly fearing for their safety, and after numerous times telling some people to back away, they used pepper spray," she said, denying that excessive force was used. "They had to protect themselves."
This is going to do nothing but cause harm to what is already an uneasy relationship at times. The officers involved will most likely be transferred out. (they rotate them often anyway)
The Sechelt band, takes care of their kids. And I doubt they will let this pass. I am in total agreement that there needs to be an independent investigation, and something needs to change here.
The Sechelt band are self governing, and have a lot of financial and decision making clout in the town of Sechelt.
I hope they get what they need to ensure this never happens again. I think the first thing that HAS to happen is to educate any RCMP coming into the area about the locals, and the local traditions.
In 1984 the Sechelt Indian Band of British Columbia became the first indigenous Band in Canada to develop its own constitution and to withdraw the lands of the reserve from the Indian Act.
THE SECHELT INDIAN BAND
I have talked to people in the area, and most are utterly horrified and disgusted by the actions of the RCMP. It's a small town, and no one can quite grasp that a police officer decided to use such heavy handed tactics on people who were practicing a long standing tradition and having a good time.
Its going to be a long summer in the 'Land between two waters'.
Sechelt BC
The word "Sechelt" means land between two waters. Indian Legend has it that the creator gods were sent by the Divine Spirit to form the world. They carved out valleys leaving a beach along the inlet at Porpoise Bay. Later, the transformers, a male raven and a female mink, changed details by carving trees and forming pools of water. The raven is an integral part of the Sechelt Indian Band's culture and is often seen in their carvings