Hamilton Airport Authority accused of drawing ‘political lines in the sand’ at Doug Ford rally

Health | Latest News | Police | Politics |

By

Published May 26, 2022 at 10:16 pm

The activist community in Hamilton is calling out an authorization to remove protesters that was given to the police during a Doug Ford campaign rally at the airport.

At least two were obtained in regard to the event at at John C. Munro International Airport, where the Ontario PC Party leader and other candidates appeared on Thursday ahead of the June 2 provincial election. One was obtained by the private company Cargojet, whose hangar was used for the rally. However, Anthony Marco, president of the Hamilton and District Labour Council, criticized the Hamilton Airport Authority for also obtaining an “authorization to act under the trespass to property act” form.

That authorization empowered Hamilton Police Service and Ontario Provincial Police officers to remove protesters, many of whom are critical of Ford and the Ontario PCs’ approaches to climate justice and sprawl, from the airport premises. One arrest was made, as Toronto lawyer Caryma Sa’d was ticketed for trespassing.

The airport is owned by the City of Hamilton. In a Twitter thread, Marco shared a copy of the authorization bearing the name of Martina McLaren. McLaren is the operation centres manager of the airport. Marco contended that while he could abide Cargojet’s choice as a private company, the airport authority had the option to stay out of partisan politics.

“Anybody who was wearing (Ontario PC Party) conservative blue or there for the rally got to come in and walk around however they pleased,” Marco wrote. “Anybody who was there to legally protest was being escorted away by police. The airport authority should not have the right to discriminate by political beliefs.

“… Did the Hamilton Airport Authority have the right to issue a trespass order?” Marco added a few tweets later. “Sure. In doing so, however, they’ve drawn political lines in the sand and shown that they have no care for working class people in the city who are struggling. I would urge them to rethink their positions if such an occurrence ever happens again.”

Marco noted many of the protesters were “environmental activists.” Hamilton city council declared a climate crisis in 2019.

The airport is in a rapidly urbanizing part of Hamilton. Engaged residents in the area have been dead-set against urban boundary expansion in Hamilton. That is a hot-button local issue that may be of a piece with other climate issues, such as the Highway 413 project.

Ford and the Ontario PCs have committed to build the highway. The Green Party, Liberal Party and New Democratic Party are all opposed to it.

Ford told media this week that he believes climate change is real.

Environmental Defence, a top Canadian environmental advocacy organization, also recently shared the parties’ responses to an election questionnaire. The Ontario PC Party has yet to respond to any of their 13 questions.

insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising