Police link mob to anarchist event
Anonymous post on website says crowd went after “as many yuppie businesses as we could”
The rampaging mob on Locke Street is now officially being linked to the Hamilton Anarchist Book Fair that took place a few blocks away.
Det. Sgt. Mike Cunliffe would not say what evidence police have to link Saturday night’s $100,000 vandalism spree to the book fair, but he did confirm officers had seized security video from Westdale Secondary School where the book fair had been held.
The book fair was organized by The Tower, self-described as “Hamilton’s anarchist social space.” Cunliffe would not say if investigators had spoken with anyone there or if they had visited its location on Cannon Street East.
He would also not say if detectives had spoken to anyone at Sky Dragon Centre or if it is linked in any way to the Locke Street investigation. Sky Dragon, on King William Street is “a nonprofit worker-coop dedicated to the goals of progressive social and environmental change,” according to its website, which also says it is “under threat of closure.” In the past, Sky Dragon has been a meeting place for anarchists.
Kevin MacKay, who on the website is listed as Sky Dragon’s director, contacted The Spectator Tuesday to take issue with my description of the centre as an “anarchist gathering spot.”
I tried to have a conversation with MacKay. The Spectator had been attempting to reach him since Sunday. He told me he had purposely not returned those calls.
He hung up when I asked if he had any involvement in the Locke Street incident.
No group has taken responsibility for the incident. It is unknown if the mob included anarchists.
About 30 black-clad and masked people marched north on Locke Street at about 10 p.m. Saturday. They carried a banner that read “We are the Ungovernable” and smashed store windows and vandalized cars. As police gathered at the scene the mob scattered, shedding their black clothes as they went.
No arrests have been made. Police quickly turned their attention to the two-day anarchist book fair.
People from across Ontario came to the fair, which has been an annual event for about eight years. There have been no problems associated with it in the past.
Cunliffe, who is leading the Locke Street investigation, addressed criticism from business and property owners on Barton Street who believe anarchists are responsible for repeated vandalism in their neighbourhood as well as on Locke Street. Those critics say police showed little interest in the problems of gritty Barton Street, but were quick to respond in force to the problems on gentrified and popular Locke Street.
“We take all incidents seriously,” Cunliffe said.
He lists four incidents police investigated on Barton Street in 2017 that some believe are linked to anarchists.
In April last year, there were two reports of mischief to restaurants. A glass door at The Butcher and Vegan was smashed and a window was damaged at The Heather. No charges have been laid in either case.
In June 2017 there was a “suspicious” posting on the internet that was reported in relation to The Heather, but it turned out not to be related after all, according to Cunliffe.
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... strolled along Aberdeen and up some of the side streets attacking the luxury cars and mansions we found ...
No charges were laid.
In September 2017, people were spotted putting posters that appeared to condone anarchy on store window and poles on Barton Street East and James Street North. Cunliffe says some of the messages on the posters were “derogatory toward the police” and critical of “gentrification.” Police investigated the mischief, but no charges were laid.
“We investigated each one of these incidents,” says Cunliffe. A crime manager met with the complainants. He adds that police can only investigate incidents they are told about.
And he says police have no evidence to link the Barton Street incidents
to the Locke Street event.
Cunliffe says there is a dedicated team of three detectives on the case.
On Monday night, a “manifesto” posted by an anonymous writer appeared on a website called North Shore Counter-Info.
“On Saturday night, I met up with a group of people in the Durand neighbourhood, strolled along Aberdeen and up some of the side streets attacking the luxury cars and mansions we found there, making noise with a portable sound system and loads of fireworks,” it reads. “The march then turned down Locke and attacked as many yuppie businesses as we could.”
The writer laments not making it far enough up Locke to smash the Starbucks’ windows.
“Sure, small business owners may work long hours, but even if I’m putting in 12 hour days next to my boss, and we both scrub the toilet, the fact that they own and I work means our relationship to the work is totally different.”
The irony is that since Saturday’s vandalism, business on Locke Street has been booming more than ever.