BLACK LISEfRATION NEWS PUBLISHED BY THE BLACK LIBERATION FRONT 0F CANADA VOL. 1, NO Z. 15 CENTS AUGUST, 1969 Cops harass blacks at Alexander Park Ever since the Sir George Wil- liams incident in Montreal pol- icemen across Canada have been tense and anxiously wait- ing for their chance to tackle wbat seems ta be any black misdemeanor. Perhops their thirst is insatiable. The recent incident at Alexander Park in downtown Toronto was no ex- ception. It started as a quarre I between rival black and Portuguese youth over a white girl whom a Portuguese youtb was about ta take home. Soon after, a fist fight ensued, which the black youth won. A crowd gathered, most of it block. Police arrived and et- tempted ta arrest the black youth but bis block brathers protected him. Several more police cruisers arrived and ag- ain tbey advanced, this time with swinging clubs. Severol people were injured - most of them blacki one policeman. This incident points out some important facts about the Tor- onto police dbpartment's atti- tude toward the black comm- unity. The Toronto police attitudes are predetermined by events in the United States and are thore- fore conditioned ta deol Witb any black incident in the sev- erest monner. The black peuples, assoult on the U. S. citios is a well- earned reward for the Americon imperialist, after yeors af slav- ery, colonialism and the most outrageous exploitation of black people known ta mon. This, tbough, isouniy prt one ofthe REVOLUTIO N thot Moust come'. Despite proximity ta the U. S. , there is no justification for the Police Department's attitudes toward the black people. The way blacks are treated when arrested, picked up on suspi- cion or on a disturbance charge sterm directly fromn the police- men's attitudes., Btocls are treot ed more--- svrïy thon other cit- izens. For instance, on Sunday July 20 the Provincial Police were given o warrant ta seorch a motorcycle gang in Niogaoa Folls on suspi- cion af illegal possession of l iq- uor. After seorching severol tents the PoliSe -wre pelted with bottlos and beer cons and boa.d t-oa scene thot would h ave made the Alexander Park look like o picnic - yet the police were content ta caîî it quits (walk away), making no arrests and laying no charges. At Alexander Park, six or more were arrested, ail blacks. The conclusions ta be drawn are plain. LEONARD BROWN 0F THE LEAGUE OF REVOLUTIONARY- BLACK WORKERS (FROM DRUM-ELRUM) ADDRESSES AUDIENCE AT A BLACK LIBERATION FRONT 0F CANADA MEETING - LEONARD WAS ALSO A SPEAKER AT OUR RECENT SEMINARS HELD AT ROCHDALE COLLEGE BLFC. seminar demands cote C iiens con? roi of police The series of pol itical seminars initiated by the BLFC, held at Rochdale Coliege over the July 25-27 weekend, cantrary ta skeptical pre.%. reports in ail 3 Toronto dailies, were an un- ciÙal if ied success from the point of view cf the Central Comm- ittee of aur organîzation. The BLFC as stated time and time agoin has neyer concerned it- self witb being a mass argoni- zation and neyer intends ta. Thus, in refutation of the press' innuendas describing us as a Iminarity' and splinter graup, aur stand reoins uncbanged. We do not intend bore ta go into the structure of aur or- ganizatian but suffice it ta uay we comsider ourselves a politi- cal extension ai the Third World struggle raging in the underdev- eloped arecs. We have indissol- u ble links with that struggle. Our objective is ta educate and spread the word ai the political realities oi aur times and, thru education, watchfulness and ex- posure, ta gear the people ta cape witb t his society and crit- iclly onalyze the situations in their respective home countries. Our seminors have been design- ed with the above objectives in view. We had nat limited aur- selves ta race or clans but en- couraged ail sympathetic and resilient-mindod people ta par- toke in aur discussions on petit- ical and social candi. ions, and the Third World Revolution, which too many people are pre- pared, like the daily press, ta sbrug off. Our f irst day we dea 1t witb rac- ial issues in the United States and their relevance ta Canada. In keeping with the July 26tb Anniversary of the Cuban Revo- lutian, aur focus was on Latin America and the Third World struggle. Our speakers included representatives from the League ai Revolutionory Block Workers in the United States, Central Committee members and a rep- resentative from the Canadian student body. We did not mecs- ure aur success by the nwnber of people attendi ng or the sum ai manoy collected, but rather by the interest generated in politi- cal terms and the free discussion ens4ing. In regard ta the Citizens' Re- view Board discussed during the seminar, it is interesting to note in p*ssng tbat the police are us- ing the Portuguese community a- gainst the blacks ta recoup their image lost during the universal pratest against the Nobrega shoot- ing and the handling of the Nob- rego affair. The whole press and police action have been deliber- otely directed tawards the Part- uguese in an effort ta divide the people in tbot community. We in the BLFC throughout aur seminars and since aur inceptian have repeatedly stated that unif- ication witb progressive farces is welcome. We do flot equivo- cote on this stand. We think strictly in political terms and the palitical necessity of unity with progressive forces overrides any racial considerations. We welcome belp and political con- tacts. rhe seminars held at Rochdale Jeveloped the organization in political maturity and social realities. W. continue ever onwards toward our objectives. COMMITTEE FOR THE FORMA- TION OF A CITIZEN S' REVIEW BOARD The Black Liberation Front bas colîled for a united front ta dis- cuss tbe increasing excessive force and intimidation used by the Police Department against the citizens af Toronto - as a result a Committee for a Citi- zens' Review Board was formed. Here is what was discussed at the series af seminars held re- centîy at Rochdale College. The Committee would be set up ta oversee tbe activi tics and ta act upon complaints by citizens CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ELDRIDGE CLEA VER speaks on education -page 6