Phone Zap: Inquiry into murder of Dudley George

Phone Zap: Inquiry into murder of Dudley George PHONE ZAP FOR STONEY POINTERS - from information put together by Anti-Racist Action, June 16/97 bulletin Harris cover-up of political murder? Zap the Premier to demand an inquiry! Almost two years after the re-occupation by the Stoney Point People of their traditional territory, formerly known as Ipperwash Provincial Park, and the shooting death of Anthony O'Brien "Dudley" George of Stoney Point, the provincial government of Ontario, Canada is still refusing to call a full public inquiry into the events leading up to Dudley's killing, even though evidence of a cover-up continues to grow. Demand a full public inquiry into the shooting death of Anthony O'Brien "Dudley" George, of Stoney Point First Nation! Express your outrage at the provincial government's attempt to cover up what looks more and more like a political murder. Despite pressure from Stoney Point First Nation, grassroots organizations, unions, and opposition Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs), Mike Harris still refuses to call an inquiry into the shooting death of Dudley George. Why? Because the premier himself is implicated in this murder! Attorney General Charles Harnick, by refusing to represent the interests of the Stoney Pointers and call a full public inquiry into the shooting death of Dudley George, is not living up to his responsibilities as minister responsible for Native Affairs. Please help put the pressure on Harris, Harnick, and Runciman! Let them know that people around the world demand that the truth of Dudley's murder be made public! Call: - Mike Harris, Premier of "Ontario", (416) 325-1941 - Charles Harnick, Attorney General of "Ontario", (416) 326-4000 - Robert Runciman, Solicitor General of "Ontario", (416) 326-5075 Let them know: * who you are and where you are calling from; * that you demand a full public inquiry into the shooting death of Anthony O'Brien "Dudley" George, of Stoney Point First Nation; * that you are disgusted by all the alarming facts now coming out about the provincial government's role in the Ontario Provincial Police actions which led to Dudley's killing; * that self-determination for Stoney Point must be recognized! BACKGROUND In 1942, the federal government of Canada invoked the War Measures Act, kicked out the Stoney Point People from their land and created a military base. Despite promises, the land was not returned to the Stoney Pointers at the close of the war. On May 6, 1993, the Stoney Pointers moved back home, setting up tents and lean-to's on the firing ranges of Camp Ipperwash. In July 1995 they moved into the military barracks and the military vacated. On September 4, 1995 the Stoney Pointers occupied Ipperwash Provincial Park after it was closed for the season. Early the next morning, several OPP officers approached Dudley and others in the park and shouted threats at him, "Dudley, you are to be the first!" At 11 p.m. on September 6, 1995 the OPP attacked the unarmed men, women and children with clubs and batons. After retreating, the OPP opened fire upon them, killing Dudley George. On June 4, 1997, the 8th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, members of Ontario's provincial opposition brought forward a motion for a full public inquiry into the shooting death of Dudley George, to fill in the missing gaps in the events leading up to the Ontario Provincial Police killing of Dudley George: * Whose decision was it to send over 250 Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers, backed by military tanks, to Stoney Point to confront only 25 unarmed men, women and children occupying a park which had closed for the season? * Why did the OPP attack the Stoney Pointers after dark, after the media had left the area? * Harris claims that there was no political direction given to the OPP. Yet, minutes from an interministerial meeting held the day before Dudley was killed state that, "The province will take steps to remove the occupiers ASAP... The OPP have the discretion as to how to proceed with removing the Stoney Pointers...." Senior Aide to Harris, Deb Hutton was present at this meeting. * A headline from the Sarnia Observer, dated Sept. 5, 1995 says, "Queen's Park to Take a Hard Line Against Park Occupiers. Beaubien." Marcel Beaubien, the local Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) was present at the OPP command centre at least three times, including once only four hours before the shooting. Beaubien sent and received faxes to and from the Premier's office, the Solicitor General's office and the Attorney General's office. What did Beaubien mean when he said in a fax, that he would refuse to be the fall guy for Ipperwash? [Note: For those unfamiliar with the Ontario Government, Queen's Park is the name of the building and park where the provincial legislature is located in Toronto.] * The Sept. 5, 1995 Emergency Planning for Aboriginal Issues Interministerial Committee minutes reveal that the OPP were given direction from Queen's Park, and they met everyday from September 3 to October 1, 1995. Opposition members did a Freedom of Information Act search for any documents, minutes, briefing notes, or memos from these meetings. The opposition was told that there were no records. Usual government procedure is to always keep records! * About an hour and a half before the police shooting of Dudley George, OPP logs reveal that the provincial government overruled the OPP and decided to use a different kind of injunction than the OPP preferred in order to proceed with removing the Stoney Pointers. The injunction which the provincial government directed the OPP to use permitted the OPP to move faster than normal, yet the OPP did not even wait for this injunction before attacking the unarmed Stoney Point men, women and children at 11 p.m., opening fire on the Stoney Pointers and killing Dudley George. Even more horrifying, why were there body bags waiting for the Stoney Pointers in a St. John's ambulance vehicle, used as the Tactical Operations Centre for the OPP? * Police records also show that Beaubien had been in touch with the Premier, the Solicitor General and the Attorney General and that the OPP commissioner had spoken with the Solicitor General. * During the sentencing hearing for Acting OPP Sergeant Kenneth Deane, convicted of criminal negligence in the shooting death of Dudley George, crown attorney Ian Scott told Dudley George's brother, Pierre, that his testimony, based on a victim impact statement, was not needed. Pierre George, who was one of three people who drove Dudley George to the hospital on September 6, 1995, has spoken publicly on various occasions, yet he was not given the opportunity to tell how himself and sister Carolyn George were brutalized, held and told they were to be charged with attempted murder by police when they arrived with Dudley at the nearest hospital. Harris has claimed that it does not make good legal sense to call an inquiry while matters are before the courts. Opposition MPPs cited a Supreme Court of Canada ruling regarding the Westray Mines inquiry, which found that matters relating to the Westray Mines could be inquired into while matters were before the courts so long as the purpose of the inquiry was not to determine criminal liability. So, even if Harris will not call an inquiry now, there is no reason for him not to commit to one once the matters before the court have been resolved. For more information, please call Anti-Racist Action at 631-8835, email: ara@web.net or Toronto Coalition Against Racism at (416) 977-6999.