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Making the most of
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56 pages

NEWS photc Terry Peters

A DISPUTE between the operator of Bob's Fruit Stand and Squamish natives culminated in a protest march Thursday at the foot of Forbes.

nad off

Allegations of racism swirl around
business eviction from Squamish land

children."
Reid, 62, has been operating a

A BITTER dispute between Squamish natives and a fruit
vendor Jeasing band fand at the foot of Forbes Avenue
boiled over Thursday afternoon amid allegations of racism
and assault when natives blockaded the produce stand op-
erator’s business.
Approximately 30 natives. cirel-
ed in front of Bob Reid’s stand
chanting to the beat of a drum
“Bob Leave Now’ and. carrying
placards bearing messages in-
cluding “Bob is One Bad Apple".

REACHING EVERY D

By Michael Becker
News Reporter

“This is Squamish fand, get off"
and ‘‘Stop business oppression of

seasonal produce stand on the
North Shore for the past 16 years.
He has leased @ spot from the
Squamish for the past three sears.

Reid said he wert to do some
work at the stand on a Saturday,
early in June. “'There were tive
kids in my place. They were paint-
ing any vellaw signs green and
they had oa blanket spread out

there and taey were having a pic-
nic.

“dE think the parents are disturbed
about the kids. t cold them to get
out and not to come back and |
guess thats not acceptable.’ he
said.

Reid confiscated the children’s
bicycles.

“EP said go home and get your
parents and TH release your bicy-
cles. When 7 kicked the kids out
thes went over to che priest: and
the priest called the police and the
priest made the report to council
about the kids.” he added.

Butosaid) Squamish
member Sam George,
talking about kids five,

council
“We're
SEX) yours

old. From what ww: heard the kids
were in there. There were older
kids in there and these kids (the
younger ones) came by, and they
were all little girls mind you, and
they went in there and. started
playing in there and Bob came
and he physically manhandled
them.

"One had a black eve and one
had a bump on her head and they
complained that their backs were
sore because he physically threw
theny against the wall and took
theic bikes,’ George alleged,

Reid was informed in) writing
last Saturday that the Squamish

See Protest pase &

SNEED

OR ON THE NORTH SHORE SINCE 1969