Spy agency anxious over increase in ‘phenomenon’ of Freeman anti-government ideology in CanadaBill Graveland, Canadian Press | 18/12/13 9:25 AM ETA Calgary pensioner’s rental duplex was claimed as an ‘embassy’ by ‘sovereign citizen’ Andreas Pirelli, also known as Mario Antonacci, and his friends CALGARY — A so-called sovereign citizen movement emerged from the shadows in 2013 with the story of a pensioner whose rental duplex was claimed as an “embassy” by a follower and his friends. A week after Rebekah Caverhill of Calgary went public with her two-year struggle, authorities swooped in, arrested a man and transferred him to Quebec to face allegations that he assaulted a landlady in Montreal. While Caverhill’s ordeal ended peacefully and she has her home back, it focused the attention of politicians, police and pundits on a movement often referred to as Freeman-on-the-Land and whose members believe they live outside government control. The Law Society of B.C. and B.C. Notaries have both issued warnings about Freemen and the RCMP and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police are developing awareness materials for frontline officers. Even the Canadian Security Intelligence Service is concerned. It has noted that law-enforcement agencies have seen “an increase in the number of incidents related to (Freemen) anti-government ideology in Canada.” “We’ve been paying attention to them,” said John Thompson from the Mackenzie Institute, an organization that studies terrorism, political extremism and organized crime. “They’ve become a Canadian phenomenon since about 2008. There’s several hundred of them in Ontario and they’re slowly growing the last few years.” The movement traces its roots to the Montana Freemen, who declared themselves to be no longer under the authority of any outside government. They made a splash in 1996 when they engaged in a prolonged armed standoff with agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who attempted to arrest some of the group’s members at a farm in Jordan, Mont. It took 81 days before the heavily armed group finally surrendered. “We brought in 300 tactical agents,” recalled retired FBI agent Tom Canady, who was in charge of the operation. “They were as tough as God-damned nails. If we were to go in shooting, they probably would have loved it.” Montana lawyer Greg Jackson represented one of the men arrested following the standoff. “There was no doubt they were absolutely true believers. Most of them had been people who were respected substantial businessmen and ranchers who had fallen behind in their taxes,” he said. “A lot of them had come pretty well disenchanted with the government.”
Rebekah Caverhill's disputed
property
Jackson remembers snipers on the courthouse rooftop during the trial over fears that militia groups were going to intervene. But he said the attraction of the Freemen movement was somewhat limited. “The odd thing is to some extent a good share of the population could identify with them to a degree, but felt they were way too radical in terms of their beliefs and their approach.” Police say followers of the Freemen-on-the-Land movement commonly claim they do not require a driver’s licence, insurance or vehicle registration. They also frequently assert a right to have weapons for self-protection and produce or possess illegal drugs, as well as demand that the Bank of Canada allow them to withdraw funds on non-existent accounts. Other actions flagged by police include squatting in unoccupied homes or open areas, creating self-styled personal identification papers, filing lawsuits against officials and issuing a “bill for services rendered” after an interaction with a police officer. In the United States, the FBI considers the movement a domestic terror threat. A 2011 FBI report cites several cases where followers clashed with law enforcement, including the 2010 shooting of two Arkansas officers during a routine traffic stop. Thompson said Freemen don’t fall into the domestic terrorist category in Canada. “They’re not considered too dangerous just yet,” he said. “But there are some police who are keeping a leery eye on them. “In parts of the United States they’ve got more access to firearms and in Canada it’s not the same sort of thing.” Freemen followers say the movement is not about violence. There were concerns in October when several armed “sovereign citizens” took over a trappers cabin near Grande Prairie, Alta., just weeks after Caverhill’s case made headlines. But the matter ended peacefully when RCMP moved in and made an arrest. “Most of us are peaceful,” B.C. Freemen follower Brian Alexander said in an interview earlier this year. “We paid our taxes, we love our country and all that, but when they start pushing at you, you tend to start asking questions and that’s where this whole movement comes from.” The Alberta government has been consulting with law enforcement officials in other provinces since Caverhill’s affair. If there’s anything good out of this story, I think it’s brought the issue to the forefront of public opinion. Now that this is out, I think people are less susceptible to the wiles of these people “This is a very loud, vocal, but minuscule minority,” said Alberta Justice Minister Jonathan Denis, who has been sued by the group. “These people do cause a lot of problems, but at the same time they’re not nearly as numerous as some may let on. “If there’s anything good out of this story, I think it’s brought the issue to the forefront of public opinion. Now that this is out, I think people are less susceptible to the wiles of these people.” Denis said Alberta courts can now declare an individual a “vexatious litigant” which blocks them from taking legal action without the approval of a judge. “They do seem to have pockets of activity throughout the country and they seem to be personality driven and inspired,” said Manmeet Bhullar, who until recently was the minister for Service Alberta, the department responsible for registries, land titles and consumer protection. “A certain personality can inspire actions and create a bunch of activity in a region. It’s unfortunate the only way they can show themselves to be independent and unique is to claim they are not subject to the rights and protections and responsibilities associated with being a Canadian.” While Caverhill’s situation didn’t end in a standoff or violence, she was left hurt by what happened. “I’m trying to move forward but this has impacted me like you wouldn’t believe both physically and emotionally,” said Caverhill, who noted she had to change her phone number recently because of harassing calls from supporters of her former renter. “I think they’re dangerous because they have usurped the person’s right to make a choice. They are going against the laws of the country and establishing a country within a country.” Source Let's get it straight, Freeman are not "true believers" any more than any criminal who uses a justification as a reason for committing a criminal offence. Freeman use "justifications" that are a symptom of a selfish, borderline personality that shows little empathy for others who they victimize. They can best be described as "scoundrels" at worst and even the most challenged judge, who is suffering a hang over and half asleep is unlikely to find in their favour anything to do with "Admiralty law" and or give any credence to the significance of the ball on top of the flagpole and or their crazy cult like ideas on the law of contract. They get hit with costs and are rarely ever successful. The problem is, the tools judges use to deal with freeman are abused and used upon legitimate litigants who dare to allege criminal offences by authorities. Our police chiefs, the Justice Minister and CSIS should be more concerned about the more substantive problems suffered by the justice system. Take the widespread corruption in our Judiciary that NO ONE wishes to acknowledge that does not necessarily mean cash in envelopes for decisions, its far more insidious and relates to the Organized crime that again, virtually NO ONE wishes to acknowledge. It's starts with lawyers who work for Ontario's most corrupt criminal Cult, the private corporations with an exclusive non tendered contract for Child Protection operated by 48 Children's Aid Societies of Ontario that are so notorious that lawyers call them "The Gestapo". Their Billion dollars of funding, is a theft of public money used to abuse children, in the adoption and foster business that has, unlimited legal funds and who employ the lowest form of humanity imaginable as lawyers. These professional fabricators of evidence, after demonstrating their loyalty to the Cult, are frequently patched over to the judiciary where they turn a blind eye to their obvious conflicts and do almost nothing but Child Protection Cases where they "Rubber Stamp" decisions for the most corrupt example of organized crime that makes the Hells Angels look, well like Angels by comparison. No one ever calls the HA child abusers but the same cannot be said for the CAS. Take Children's Aid Society Child Protection Worker, Phillip Hiltz-Laforge, a professional fabricator of evidence who takes children from victims of domestic violence and places them with child abusers. It's that kind of behaviour that gives Phill Hiltz-Laforge job security, or so he thinks. Then there is the unconvicted criminal, Marguerite Isobel Lewis , the lawyer for the children's aid society of Ottawa who fabricates evidence to protect Phil Hiltz-Laforge. Then you have Rotten Cops like Detective Peter Vanderzander who fabricates evidence and the rotten apples of the Ottawa Police who fabricate evidence to protect violent women, that is, to protect their claim that only 10% of DV victims are women. CSIS and the Ontario Police Chiefs will turn deliberate blind eyes to the obvious and look to investigate anything that might divert the attention of the public from the Criminal Cartels that rip off Canada for Billions of dollars to commit offences against children and more importantly, criminal offences against the Administration of Justice. If you have been a victim of Phillip Hiltz-Laforge, Marguerite Lewsis or Det. Peter Vanderzander email stopcasdotca@gmail.com
The Freeman are entitled to genuine beliefs, but the problem is, they
have delusional ideas of law and the Freeman are not alone and many
authorities in Canada adopt crazy Freeman style justifications for
improper delusional concepts in law. |