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The Power of the Patch has landed the Hells Angels a place in Canadian infamy.

Manitoba's department of Justice has deemed the Manitoba Hells Angels as a Criminal Organization.
Manitoba is the first North American jurisdiction to do so.

Club members and associates can now be tried without the prosecution having to bring forth additional proof of the accused being a member of a criminal organization speeding up trial times and making it easier for the province to confiscate property under the Criminal Property Forfeiture Act.

Manitoba is pushing Ottawa to follow suit and declare the Hells Angels as a Criminal Organization on a National level to affect federal cases.

Among their arguments for a National designation of Criminal Organization, the Manitoba Justice department cites the fact that in numerous individual trials in Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba, members were found to be part of a criminal organization.

As a rider I am concerned with this ruling as it is the same sort of ruling that has brought Australia's riding community untold grief.

We have a situation where you are guilty until proven innocent and innocents are going to become embroiled situations that will become costly in numerous ways.

We have already seen the Manitoba Justice department threaten to put family members in jail for 6 months if they associate with their son/brother/uncle/grandson.

If you have committed a crime you deserve to pay the price for your crime, where I become very concerned is the mentality of todays police officers.

Too many times, right here in Canada, we see cases of police officers lying to cover themselves - like in the Robert Dziekanski tasering where Monty Robinson and three other officers are reported to have met privately to get their "stories straight" according to new charges being brought against them.

Then there is the Orion Hutchison case where Monty Robinson allegedly fled the scene with his children and had a couple of shots to steady his nerves. It is suspected that he was already impaired when he struck and killed the rider, but because he claims to have had a couple of drinks at home to calm his nerves, he got off with only an obstruction of justice charge.

We see in the news where officers have beaten people they felt were disrespectful or belligerent or have abused their authority and used excessive force, like the case in Kelowna where officer Geoff Mantler kicked a man named Buddy Tavares ,who was kneeling, in the face.

So what do you think?

Do you think we here in Canada will be immune to the heavy handed tactics the justice system and police of Australia are using to stomp out Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs?


Do you think our police officers will stop group rides and hassle innocents like they have in Australia?

Are you prepared to live in a country where you have to phone the police station before you go out on a ride?

Unlike Australia, we have no national riders rights organization to fight for us, the everyday ordinary rider, and that National Organization in Australia has made some inroads in improving the treatment of the every day rider.

Do you think our Charter of Freedoms and Rights will protect you?


Are you prepared to be arrested because you were at an event where the Hells Angels or the Bandidos etc. were in attendance?  

Are you prepared to be searched?  

Are you prepared to have your life disrupted to prove your innocence?  

Are you prepared for the costs?  And I am not just talking financial.

Look at tattooists in Australia and the fact that they have to be fingerprinted to work in that country now.

Are you prepared to have your family and life turned upside down to prove your innocence?

Just Google what is happening in Australia with police and their abuse of authority, then Google the same thing in Canada and the US and tell me how well the riding community is going to fare.

Think about it and then tell me your thoughts.
I know where I stand on the subject - how about you....where do you stand?

Have a fabulous weekend and if you are lucky enough to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

















Post a Comment

  1. Sharpy10:00 AM

    I agree with this atricle completely. I have been profiled and treated like a piece of shit by RCMP, had my bike seized and was charged with 2 different offenses, to which I beat in court. This however didn't get me back my $6000 in legal fees plus the $400 I paid to get my scooter back. All becasue the peace officer suspected I was something I am not.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cookie12:06 PM

    Welcome to Canada we are not a free country. We are almost a borderline police state. And the laws are there for us to follow. Try stepping out of line.

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  3. Sawlly1:22 PM

    I disagree.
    I don't see any examples of police harassment.

    Freedom is a word thrown out too much by north americans...it's lost it's meaning in my book.

    We are as free as we want to be. If all we look at is how "restrained" we are, then that is all we'll see.

    Look at the good stuff more.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is one time you an I won't agree, we need to protect our freedoms not just enjoy them.

    When it takes 8 police officers to interrogate one rider, when everyone in an entire profession is forced to have their finger prints registered, when funerals are stopped and riders checked out, only because they ride a motorcycle, I think that something is terribly wrong and needs to be corrected.

    I am grateful you shared your point of view, it allows me to examine where I stand on the subject when I have other ideas to think on.

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  5. Swally1:38 PM

    lol all good!

    The 1%ers are to thank for that. Don't point it to the cops.

    What does a 1%er look like?
    What does a 99%er look like?

    Thanks to current fads and shit tv shows, they are practically identical now.

    Although the 99%ers typically come with a bit more attitude.

    Cops do what cops do, try to keep everyone safe.

    If they didn't have a reason for doing what they do, they wouldn't
    There is enough crime out there that they have their hands full. Drugs are big business these days. That is biker business.

    How easy is it to see if a person has drugs on them? Not very.

    How easy is it to judge character? Not very. That's why you wanna spend a few minutes talking to someone who basically dresses identically to their criminal counterparts.

    Too many people want to play biker nowadays, to the point where I have stopped using the word BIKER to describe myself. I ride bikes, I'm not a biker.

    I stay out of trouble, and trouble somehow manages to stay away from me.

    Drama breads drama.

    If I walked up to any of you guys on the street, stuck a camera in your face and asked your name, I'm sure you'd get your back up a bit about it too.

    Cheers,

    Swally

    ReplyDelete
  6. Swally2:12 PM

    I had written a nice long piece on here and I deleted it by mistake but here goes:

    Drama breeds drama. I stay out of trouble, and trouble somehow stays away from me.

    Blame the 1%ers for the cops behavior.
    1%ers deal drugs. Drugs is big business in the world of crime these days. So naturally the cops are interested.

    What does a 1%er look like?
    What does a 99%er look like?
    ...not a lot of difference there these days. Thanks to current fads and shit tv shows, more and more want to try an emulate the "bad asses".

    Drug. How large are drugs? Not very.
    How long does it take to judge someones character. A while. SO the cops do take their time to chat with a guy once in a while to try to suss them up. It's not perfect, but it is better than eating doughnuts all day.

    So don't blame the cops for looking into someone who looks, acts and dresses like members of organized crime groups.
    Cops have plenty to do, so I am sure they aren't doing this stuff just for the hell of it.

    Although typically the 99%ers come with a bit more attitude. Not all. Not most. But enough!


    As I said, I see no harassing behavior here.
    At least not anything I would call "harassment". Some may be more sensitive than others.

    Words like Biker, Freedom ..."Brother", get thrown around too much these days. To the point wehere they have lost all meaning to me.

    I am somebody brother.
    I did serve in the military.
    I DO currently work in a uniformed profession (not a cop, relax! lol)
    But those words are all but gone for me now.

    I ain't nobody's brother just cus I dress a certain way or or ride instead of drive, or walk.

    I don't associate with the 1% and I try to limit my association with the 99%, although that is what I am, basically. I just fucking ride.

    Who cares about the rest?

    Fpr people who think we live in a police state (not aimed specifically at you guys on this post, but everyone, take a holiday in the Ukraine, then tell me how much of a police state Canada is, or how little freedom we have.

    It's all a matter of perspective. I say we are still ahead of the rest of the planet.

    Cheers,

    Swally


    PS Betty:
    I will be one of the most outspoken people you will meet, I'm sure we'll argue more! ;)

    Keep the rubber side down guys and gals!
    (unless you're wearing it on your di*k, in which case point it wherever you like!)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I understand and agree with some of what you say but I ask you this... Are you prepared for the day when like in Australia groups of three or more are requested to check in with the police when they want to go for a ride without being harassed? I know being a cop isn't easy, three of my uncles were RCMP but that doesn't stop me from asking are we ready to pay the price the lawmakers are imposing on riders in Australia, here?

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  8. Swally2:27 PM

    "...ban members of criminal biker gangs of three or more..."

    Criminal. Not just anyone.

    ReplyDelete
  9. They have done that in Australia and if you follow the news at all, you will see that hasn't worked any better than a ban on guns, the war on drugs or any other ban, because the criminal element doesn't follow the law.

    I don't know the answers, I just know that when I go for a ride, I don't want to have to ask permission

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous4:57 PM

    What can we, the biker community, do to prevent what is happening in Australia from happening in Canada? I know that I don't want to have to check in with cops every time I want to go for a ride with a few friends, or be harassed because I have friends in bike clubs.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Mark Wongstedt10:41 AM

    A frog in a pot of water........we must remain vigilant. I know some cops, good people. I know some 1%, also good people. There are fundamental human rights that are at stake. They are being eroded.

    As always, I refer to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Slippery slopes are all around. We need a national group to represent our best interests. It is easy to take rights away, exceedingly difficult to get them back.

    ReplyDelete

 
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