From June 1st, 2009:
“[The Canadian Border Service Agency] is a foreign oppressive force who occupies our sovereign community and territory. (They are) unwelcome, uninvited and now carrying firearms. For lack of a different description, that is considered by some an act of war.” – Larry King, member of the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory (quoted in Ottawa Citizen, May 29, 2009)
[A delegation of three non-native Montreal activists, including a member of No One Is Illegal-Montreal, is currently at the site of protesters at the Kawehnoke Port of Entry (Cornwall Island) on the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne. Native protesters at Akwesasne are welcoming allies to stand in solidarity, and to witness their efforts to resist the imposition of armed guards on Mohawk territory.
The No One Is Illegal-Montreal website will have updates directly from Akwesasne, as well as maintain a mainstream and alternative news compilation, at the following link: http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com/2009/06/akwesasne.html ]
– CBSA guards abandon posts
– Seaway International Bridge is blocked to vehicular traffic by police
– Protesters maintain presence at border crossing
Update – 5:35am
Monday, June 1, 2009
Dawn is breaking on the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne, where local residents have protested for months to oppose the arming of Canadian Borders Services Agency (CBSA) guards on their territory. More than 50 protesters are maintaining a presence near the Canadian customs building on Cornwall Island. There are at least five fires burning to keep demonstrators warm. Many more residents and supporters are expected to be on-site as the morning progresses.
According to residents of Akwesasne (as well as mainstream media reports), CBSA border agents abandoned their posts just before midnight, out of fear of reprisals from the community. CBSA agents were due to be armed at the Port of Cornwall crossing on June 1, a policy universally opposed and condemned by the Akwesasne Mohawk Community.
Vehicular traffic onto the Seaway International Bridge has been shut down by police on both sides of the border, although pedestrians are still being allowed to access the bridge.
The Mohawk territory of Akwesasne straddles the jurisdictions of Ontario, Quebec and New York State, and is a major international border crossing between Canada and the United States. CBSA guards began arming in 2007, and there are currently more than 800 armed CBSA guards across Canada. The entire CBSA aims to be armed, in stages, by 2016. The CBSA announced that their agents at the Port of Cornwall would be armed by June 1 of this year.
SELECTED NEWS & INFORMATION COMPILATION
June 1, 2009
Cornwall Standard-Freeholder: U.S.-Canada border closed by Akwesasne protest of guns at crossing; Border guards leave posts for U.S.
http://www.standard-freeholder.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1591962
Ottawa Citizen: Armed border guards abandon posts on First Nation
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Armed+border+guards+abandon+posts+First+Nation/1649395/story.html
Radio-Canada: Les Mohawks ne décolèrent pas
http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/ottawa/2009/05/31/002-mohawks_douaniers_armes_colere.shtml
May 30, 2009
Mohawk Nation News (MNN): Akwesasne Unity March
http://www.mohawknationnews.com/news/singlenews.php?lang=en&layout=mnn&category=26&newsnr=716&backurl=%2Fnews%2Fnews4.php%3Flang%3Den%26layout%3Dmnn%26category%3D26%26sortorder%3D0%26start%3D0&srcscript=/news/news4.php
May 29, 2009
Ottawa Citizen: Plan to arm borders guards an “act of war”
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Armed+border+guards/1644877/story.html
Mohawk Nation News (MNN): UN asked to stop guns at Akwesasne border
http://www.mohawknationnews.com/news/singlenews.php?lang=en&layout=mnn&category=26&newsnr=715&backurl=%2Fnews%2Fnews4.php%3Flang%3Den%26layout%3Dmnn%26category%3D26%26sortorder%3D0%26start%3D0&srcscript=/news/news4.php
May 28, 2009
Mohawk Nation News (MNN): There will be no guns! “You are on Indian Land”
http://www.mohawknationnews.com/news/singlenews.php?lang=en&layout=mnn&category=26&newsnr=714&backurl=%2Fnews%2Fnews4.php%3Flang%3Den%26layout%3Dmnn%26category%3D26%26sortorder%3D0%26start%3D0&srcscript=/news/news4.php
19 mai, 2009
Radio-Canada: Forte opposition aux douaniers armés
http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/National/2009/05/19/003-akwasasne-douaniers-armes.shtml
May 12, 2009
Mohawk Nation News (MNN): 41-year legacy of Mohawk resistance at Akwesasne border
http://www.mohawknationnews.com/news/singlenews.php?lang=en&layout=mnn&category=26&newsnr=709&backurl=%2Fnews%2Fnews4.php%3Flang%3Den%26layout%3Dmnn%26category%3D26%26sortorder%3D0%26start%3D0&srcscript=/news/news4.php
May 9, 2009
Canadian Border Services Agency: CBSA officers will begin carrying duty firearms on June 1, 2009, at the Port of Cornwall
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/media/release-communique/2009/2009-05-09-eng.html
9 mai 2009
Agence des services frontaliers du Canada: Les agents de l’ASFC du poste frontalier de Cornwall seront dotés d’armes à feu de service à compter du 1er juin 2009
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/media/release-communique/2009/2009-05-09-fra.html
May 3, 2009
Mohawk Nation News (MNN): Armed Border Guards at Akwesasne?