From the Midland Free Press’
By DOUGLAS GLYNN
Simcoe County should publicly apologize for issuing a news release that said a dozen people wearing “black bandanas” were blocking the entrance to dump Site 41 on Aug. 20, a leader of the Anishinabe protesters said Sunday.
Vicki Monague -one of the organizers of the First Nations’ Anishinabe Kweag camp opposite dump Site 41 – charged last week that the events described in the county news release “did not occur” and called on the county to remove the release from its website.
The Ontario Provincial Police have corroborated her claim.
OPP spokesman Peter Leon confirmed last week that no group of people wearing bandanas over their faces had blocked the dump entrance on Aug. 20.
“There were two individuals that were wearing balaclavas who were in no way associated with the peaceful protest that was taking place down the way (at the entrances),” he said. “They were not acting inappropriately whatsoever. I believe a milk farmer was arrested. There were no other issues whatsoever.”
Within hours of a story quoting Leon appeared in The Barrie Examiner the release was removed from the county’s website.
Monague says the county needs to apologize to the people who were rallying that day because the news release misled the public and the media by painting a picture of an unsafe militant zone at site 41.
“That’s not what it was! Our demonstrations have always been family oriented, peaceful and weapons free. The county knows that. While I am very pleased the county removed the press release,” Monague said, “the county should do the right thing and publicly apologize. Until it does, its credibility remains questionable.”
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