Native protester claims he’s a ‘political prisoner’

Native protester claims he’s a ‘political prisoner’

January 11, 2008
Paul Legall
The Hamilton Spectator
CAYUGA ( Jan 11, 2008 )

A native activist being held at the Barton Street jail has portrayed himself as a “political prisoner” in the hands of a foreign government.

“I have been kidnapped in my homeland by a foreign government,” Albert Douglas, 32, told Justice Joe Nadel in Ontario Court Wednesday.

“I’m a political prisoner,” he added, as supporters in the courtroom applauded and shouted, “Way to go, Al.”

Douglas has been in custody at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre in Hamilton since he was arrested Sept. 27 on numerous criminal charges involving an OPP raid at Douglas Creek Estates in Caledonia on April 20, 2006, and two incidents in Caledonia on June 9, 2006.

The June 9 incidents involve allegations he assaulted and robbed a TV cameraman and attempted to run over an OPP officer while hijacking a U.S. Border Patrol vehicle near Douglas Creek Estates.

Criminal charges stemming from the hijacking include forcible confinement, dangerous driving, robbery, leaving the scene of an accident and attempted murder.

He also faces charges of assaulting police and resisting arrest in connection with an incident at Douglas Creek Estates on April 20, 2006, when a heavily armed OPP tactical team attempted to remove native protesters from the site.

Nadel advised Douglas there’s a proper procedure to challenge the jurisdiction of the court.

He also advised Douglas to hire a lawyer to defend him on the more serious charges arising from the June 9 incidents, which are indictable offences.

He added there were consequences in remaining “mute” and refusing to participate in the process.

For example, if he doesn’t elect the kind of trial he wants on the indictable offences, he’ll automatically be tried by judge and jury and might not get the benefit of a preliminary hearing.

Douglas continued to criticize the prosecution yesterday for failing to provide him with “full and complete disclosure” of the allegations against him.

Assistant Crown Attorney Mitchell Hoffman said Douglas was trained to use a computer and given access to 7,000 pages of material on discs.

Douglas told the judge he didn’t want to review some of the material on computer because there are cameras in his cell and some audio portions of the material are hard to hear.

The judge has ordered him to return to court Jan. 16.

Another charge for protester

Another charge for protester

January 03, 2008
Paul Legall
The Hamilton Spectator
CAYUGA ( Jan 3, 2008 )

A native protester learned yesterday he’ll be facing an additional charge of assaulting police in connect-ion with his arrest at a Caledonia building site last fall.

The charge against Ronald Cook, 31, of Akwasasne, N.Y., was sworn out by Cayuga OPP on Oct. 15, 2007, but was brought before a justice of the peace for the first time yesterday.

Cook was one of nine persons charged Sept. 19, 2007, when a heavily-armed OPP riot squad removed a pocket of protesters from the Stirling Woods residential building site in Caledonia.

At the time of his arrest, he was charged with mischief for allegedly interfering with private property and possession of a prohibited weapon. He was released the next day on $2,500 bail.

Cook and the eight other protesters, who face similar charges, also appeared before a justice of the peace and were all remanded out of custody until their next court appearance on Jan. 30.

Skyler Williams, 24, who also faces charges in the Stirling Woods protest, spent a few minutes in the court house holding cells yesterday after one of his sureties pulled the $5,000 she had pledged to secure his release two and a half months ago. But he was set free again after his father, Bill Williams, came forward and pledged another $5,000 to secure his release. He had originally pledged $20,000 when his son was first freed on Oct. 26, 2007.

Skyler’s bail conditions won’t change as a result of these developments. Like other Stirling protesters, he was ordered to return to court on Jan. 30.