Canada S. Africa MP gets no welcome in Regina By KIMBALL CARIOU A member of the so-called “coloured” chamber of South Africa’s parliament cancelled parts of his recent tour in Reg- ina, in the face of opposition organized by the local Southern Africa Solidarity Committee (SASC). Abraham Williams, an “MP” from the Labour Party, which collaborates with the Botha regime, was in Saskatchewan at the request of former Tory member of parliament George Richardson and others, seeking to expand Canada’s relations with apartheid. Richardson him- self has been a guest of the Botha government on several occasions, and wages a consist- ent effort to convince constitu- ents that “apartheid is dead” — a result. of the “reforms” introduced by the white minor- ity regime. On less than a day’s notice, SASC mobilized 50 protesters to picket Williams’ first event on March 11, a mock press confer- ence at the University of Regi- na’s Journalism School. Hearing of the protest, Williams prompt ’ ly cancelled. The professor of the class to which Williams had been invited then asked anti-apartheid acti- vist Keith Philander to stand in. The South African-born Phi- lander and the students had a spirited discussion on the nature of free speech, and the reality of the Botha government’s opposi- tion. Another victory came the same day when Williams refused to speak to the campus Young Liberals. Richardson had con- vinced the Liberals that Willi- ams was a genuine anti-apar- theid figure. However, on learning the reality, the group organized a debate between Williams and a SASC speaker, a format the MP found objec- tionable. Williams did succeed in hold- ing private talks, a press confer- ence with the major media, and a visit to a nearby Indian reserve. A clear pattern has emerged here. The former South African ambassador to Canada, Glenn Babb, was also _ asked to take part ina Uof R journalism school session, and opened up contacts with indi- viduals in the aboriginal com- munities in hopes of using Canada’s own apartheid —the long-standing denial of equality and rights ‘to the aboriginal peoples — to make South Afri- ca look less terrible by compari- son. 2 The main Native peoples’ organizations across Canada, and most bands, have rejected this propaganda campaign as a manipulation of their struggle for justice. 6 « Pacific Tribune, March 23, 1988 Toronto-to-Montrealfreedom — train protests police racism By CATHY LAURIER TORONTO — The recent police kill- ings of Black youth Anthony Griffin in Montreal and Native leader J.J. Harper in Winnipeg are part of an unchecked pattern of police racism and violence, according toa leading civil rights lawyer and activist. Charles Roach, organizer of the Anthony Griffin Committee for Justice (Toronto), charged that the prevalence of such inci- dents and the routine exoneration of the officers responsible reveal a police structure stacked against working people, especially Blacks and Natives. “The police never shoot and kill rich, middle-class or professional people,” Roach told the Tribune, ‘‘and when they shoot and kill working class, Black and Native people, the message is they can get away with it. If Allan Gosset (the officer who killed Griffin) had been convicted, the killing of J.J. Harper might not have occurred. Instead, his acquittal was a signal to police officers that they can be a little more trigger- happy.” Past incidents show an officer responsible for a racist killing can usually count on the backing of the police force, chiefs and commissioners to vigorously deny any charge of racism. In most cases charges are never laid and, if they are, the prosecution is decidedly half-hearted. Roach accused prosecutors of handling police officers with “kid gloves”. This is why they are acquitted he said. “An effective and vigorous prosecution is essential to securing a conviction.” At press time, a “freedom train” organized by the Anthony Griffin Committee for Justice had left Toronto to join a demonstration organized by the Black Cultural Council of Quebec. The demonstrators have three major demands. One is to weed out racist police. “Police are the only people in our society who have an office where they have the discretion to use arms and violence legally”, Roach said, arguing that in a sector which allows people to wield this type of arbitrary power, keeping racists out becomes espe- cially crucial. A second demand is that police forces Hundreds of Native people from first nations across Manitoba demonstrated for a second consecutive day, March 16, outside the Manitoba legislature. They were demanding an inquiry into the police murder of John Joseph Harper. At press time Manitoba Attorney-General Victor Schroeder had finally yielded to public pressure and announced that an inquiry would take place. reflect the ethnic and racial composition of the communities they serve. The committee wants mandatory guidelines for recruiting more Blacks, Native people and ethnocul- tural minorities, particularly into decision- making levels where they have been excluded. In Montreal there are less than a dozen non-white officers on the 4,500-member force, and the situation in terms of non- white representation is similar in other communities across the country. The third demand of the committee is for systems to prosecute racist violence effec- tively. Roach explained this involves the establishment of completely independent public complaints commissions with the power to investigate a complaint from square one and impose punishment right up to dismissal. As well, Boards of Commissioners, which are supposed to monitor police in the public interest, must be expanded and dem- ocratized to become truly representative of the broad community instead of being dom- inated as they are now by business people and judges and others with six-figure incomes. Roach doesn’t claim these steps will elim- inate racism, but said he sees them as a necessary step to heighten the racial and cultural sensitivity of police forces. Mobilization around the Griffin killing is taking place while the Metro Toronto Police Association is attempting to disman- tle the only public complaints process in Canada. Earlier this winter, Metro police staged a 12-day work slowdown in protest after a public inquiry found an officer guilty of assaulting a suspect. The “revolt” was publicly supported by Metro’s Chief of Police and the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police.. Critics charge that the vindication by an internal police investigation of the unidenti- fied officer who shot and killed J.J. Harper is a further example of what allowing the police to police themselves leads to. Inquiry demanded in Harper shooting WINNIPEG — About 300 people held a noon-hour vigil at Winnipeg City Hall March 15 to demand an independent public inquiry into the death of J.J. Harper, execu- tive director of the Island Lake Tribal Council. Harper was shot early March 9 by a city police officer. An internal police inquiry claims Harper attacked the officer, the gun came loose and went off during a struggle. However, no local residents were interviewed, and repor- ters found Harper’s broken glasses at the scene after police said they had thoroughly searched the area. The police department has refused to name the officer involved. ~ A mass demonstration was held at the Manitoba Legislature March 16 to pressure the provincial government to call an inquiry. But NDP Attorney-General Vic Schroeder has said an inquest, mandatory in deaths involving police, will be sufficient. Mayor Bill Norrie has also come under fire for his uncritical defence of the police report. Speakers at the rally said the may- or’s comments were a cover-up of racism which is “endemic” in the Winnipeg police department. The speakers also called for the resigna- tion of Police Chief Herb Stephen, and fora meeting between Native leaders and the city police commission. Aboriginal groups have been demanding special training for police officers to work in Native communities, and affirmative action in police hiring. In a statement March 11, Manitoba Communist Party Leader Lorne Robson endorsed the tribal council’s demand for a public inquiry. He said the Betty Osbourne and Donald Marshall cases have demon- strated, once again, the racist nature of the justice system against aboriginal people. There is also repeated evidence of racism by Winnipeg police against the Native community, he said. “In such an atmosphere, only a full inquiry will produce the truth,” he said. Fire two judges, urges AFN’ HALIFAX — Georges Erasmus, leader of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), has called for the removal of two Nova Scotia judges for racist comments they made about Indians. Erasmus said the judges’ comments, and other evidence that has come to light during the Donald Mar- shall inquiry, shows Canada’s justice system does not provide equal treatment for Native, non-white and poor people. During the Marshall inquiry it was revealed Nova Scotia County Court Judge Robert Anderson had told a lawyer repres- enting Marshall: “Don’t get your balls caught in a vise over an Indian.” In addi- tion, Provincial Court Judge Lewis Mathe- son was quoted, when he was a prosecutor, as telling a Native court worker that a fence should be constructed around the Member- tou Indian reserve to prevent Indians from coming into Sydney and causing trouble. Nova Scotia Attorney-General Terence Donahoe initially suggested both judges would be barred from hearing cases involv- ing Native people but he has backed down under pressure from the legal establishment which accused him interfering in the judicial branch. Both judges continue to issue verdicts in cases.