| (07 Mar 2000)
This is not meant to be a detailed
report on the goings-on in London, but
rather a summary of the main issues at
hand. Please see Raphael Bergmann’s
website at www.freedom-fighter.org
for the full story. And, remember,
e-mail and tell him that you support his
efforts!
Most have already heard in some way
the story of the London City Police
engaging in a “community policing”
measure against a small group called the
Northern Alliance, but for those of you
who haven’t, this will be an
eye-opener into the intrusive measures
of the state police.
 In
brief, the London-based Northern
Alliance was a discussion group for
politics and social reform for a bunch
of friends. From late 1997 to early
1999, the group met regularly at various
pubs to discuss the topics of the day,
which usually focused on euro-centric
themes such as anti-German sentiment in
Canada, immigration, and WWII. Raphael
Bergmann was the unofficial facilitator
that brought together this group of
friends to share ideas and to become
more enlightened.
Since early 1999, the Northern
Alliance held no regular meetings and
was, functionally, no longer in
existence.
In the summers of 1998 and 1999,
Raphael Bergmann organized Straight
Pride walks in downtown London to
celebrate life, family, and freedom.
Rapheal declares that these walks were a
way to show that people in London were
committed to “building families.”
These walks were unrelated to the
Northern Alliance.
On November 1, 1999, Raphael received
a letter from the London City Police
signed by Detective Superintendent Dave
Lucio. This letter stated:
The London Police Service has
identified you and several others as
members of the Northern Alliance, and
organisation which holds extreme right
wing beliefs. As an identified member,
we require you to attend London Police
Headquarters… on Sunday, November 21,
1999, at 2:00 p.m.
This meeting, as identified by the
police department, had the purpose of
allowing the supposed members of the
group express their views before the
police went public with their
information.
In an interview with the London Free
Press, an investigator referred to the
Northern Alliance, “urban
terrorists,” and that they (as an
organization) recruit members and is
potentially violent to the minority
groups is has targeted. |
Lucio said, as reported by the LFP: “If
you’re someone that they hate. I would
suggest that they are a significant threat
to you. These people are basically urban
terrorists.”
Raphael, as a result of a loss of income
due to the publicity by the London City
Police, has served notice for legal action
(i.e. civil proceedings for defamation and
damage resulting from articles published).
Representing Raphael is Barbara Kulaszka, of
Brighton, Ontario, who had represented Ernst
Zundel is a number of cases with Doug
Christie.
Obviously, London City Police has made a
huge mistake and has under-estimated the
resilience of Raphael. Now, they are going
to have to pay the price for intrusive acts
and defamatory remarks.
It is my belief that the police
department has acted outside of their
mandate and (basically) moved against a
group, and specifically Raphael, for
discussing, and perhaps believing in, a
political system that is not popular with
the status quo. The police have acted
without due cause and likely for reasons of
self-efficacy (to create a media groundswell
legitimising an increased budget) or
external lobbying by pressure groups.
Where is freedom and democracy? Well,
it’s not in London. The police department
has gone out of its way to make an example
of a group that has never been charged with
a criminal offence and, in no uncertain
terms, equates the Northern Alliance with a
motorcycle gang.
“Requiring” the supposed members of
the Northern Alliance to attend a meeting is
tantamount to political thought police. This
is an example of blatant police harassment
of a political and social organization, and
the police department has infringed upon the
civil rights of the individuals identified
by demanding that they attend the police HQ
without a criminal charge or being under
investigation of any sort.
The leftists cry about political
persecution in far-off countries where
leaders of minority groups are imprisoned
without charged for espousing a certain
political or social ideology. But, where are
they now? Are they going to come to the aid
of the members of the Northern Alliance?
Hypocrisy has no place in a nation
described a “strong and free.” Our
nation prides itself on tolerance, democracy
and engendering an environment for free
thought and association – but these rights
are exclusive to those who now how to play
the political game, and who can afford it.
The infringement of rights in London,
Ontario, is indicative of the lack of will
by the powers-that-be and an example that
the police service existing to do the
bidding of specialized lobby groups. |
