RACISM IN ST HENRI Montreal?

[RACISM IN ST HENRI?]
[APRIL 26TH/2006]

IN TODAY'S ON YOUR SIDE: ONE FAMILY'S STRUGGLE WITH WHAT THEY CALL RACISM.
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THE CHAWLA'S RUN A SMALL STORE IN ST-HENRI.
THEY SAY THEY'VE BEEN HARASSED AND INSULTED BY NEIGHBOURS FOR YEARS.
TODD, WHAT HAPPENED HERE?
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[TODD van der HEYDEN/CTV News]
WE WERE CONTACTED BY THE CHAWLAS BECAUSE THEY ARE AT THEIR WITS END...THEY SAY ALL THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IS RUN A BUSINESS...BUT ARE CONSTANTLY TAUNTED.
AFTER A RECENT ASSAULT, IN WHICH ONE MEMBER WAS SENT TO HOSPITAL, THE FAMILY NOW IS ALSO WORRIED ABOUT THE WAY POLICE ARE HANDLING THE CASE.
[SOT](***SOT***)

ARVINDER CHAWLA HAS LIVED IN CANADA HER WHOLE LIFE. A STUDENT AT DAWSON...SHE HELPS HER DAD RUN HIS SHOP.

THE FAMILY-BUSINESS IS PART-CURIO SHOP, PART-SECOND HAND STORE, SELLING JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING FROM COPIES OF CATCHER IN THE RYE TO OLD VINYL RECORDS BY TAMMY WYNETTE.

BUT DESPITE BEING MAINSTAYS ON NOTRE-DAME...THE FAMILY FEELS LIKE OUTCASTS, OUTSIDERS IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBOURHOOD.

[ARVINDER CHAWLA/St-Henri Resident]
i think it's racism because...um...it doesn't happen to anybody else in the neighbourhood

THE FAMILY SAYS THEY ARE CONSTANTLY HIT WITH ETHNIC SLURS, TARGETED BY VANDALS...ALL BECAUSE THEY ARE DIFFERENT. RECENTLY THE STORE WAS ROBBED.

[ARVINDER CHAWLA/St-Henri Resident]
because we're the different ones...and i think maybe they're not able to handle that, even though we've been here for 15-20 years i mean we're in the same location

IT CAME TO A HEAD RECENTLY WHEN SOME TEENAGE KIDS THREW GARBAGE AND AN UPROOTED BUSH INTO THE STORE. HER FATHER, HARJIT, WENT OUTSIDE AND GOT INTO A CONFRONTATION WITH NEIGHBOURS - WHERE HE WAS PUNCHED.

[TODD VAN DER HEYDEN]
why do you think this happened?

[HARJIT CHAWLA/Store Owner]
because i'm a Sikh ethnic it does happen so many times...they call me, they use bad words...when they pass by here...not only kid, so many people, my neighbour - so many times.

[TODD VAN DER HEYDEN]
so you think this was racism?

[HARJIT CHAWLA]
yes sir. 100%.

THE FAMILY FEELS NO ONE IS TAKING WHAT HAPPENED SERIOUSLY...BUT THE PEOPLE AT CRAAR DO.

[HARJIT CHAWLA]
hate-motivated vandalism and harassment

CRAAR IS THE CENTRE FOR RESEARCH-ACTION ON RACE RELATIONS. FO NIEMI IS THE DIRECTOR.

[TODD VAN DER HEYDEN]
when you heard about this story were you at all surprised?

[FO NIEMI/Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations]
in that neighbourhood, no because we've heard about other hate related incidents in that part of town expecially toward black and chinese montrealers because it's considered a very traditional, homogeneous, low income neighbourhood that has a reputation of being closed to "foreigners"

THE FAMILY IS CRITICAL OF MONTREAL POLICE. THEY SAY THE FORCE WAS INSENSITIVE AND IS REFUSING TO CLASSIFY THE CASE AS RACISM OR A HATE-CRIME.

[ARVINDER CHAWLA/St-Henri Resident]
it's not big enough for them...and until some big happens they won't consider it a hate crime, unfortunately then it may be too late

[FO NIEMI/Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations]
what is surprising is if indeed the police did react in the way that way described than some corrective actions needs to take place fast

[O/C](***O/C***)

Todd, what did Montreal police have to say about this?
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WE DID CONTACT MONTREAL POLICE - THEY TOLD US THEY'RE NOW LOOKING INTO HOW THE CASE WAS FIRST HANDLED BY THE OFFICERS THAT ARRIVED ON SCENE.
BEAR IN MIND THOUGH, THAT ISSUES OF RACISM AND HATE CRIMES HAS BEEN A BIT OF A TOUCHY ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO MONTREAL POLICE - WITH SOME GROUPS SAYING THE POLICE DOWNPLAY THE ISSUE.
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But Todd, this group "CRAAR" is now helping?
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YES - CRAAR IS IN PART A RESOURCE CENTRE FOR VICTIMS...THEY ARE USED TO DEALING WITH POLICE AND THE COURT SYSTEM...WE HAVE GIVEN CRAAR THE FAMILY'S COORDINATES - SO THEY WILL BE STEPPING IN TO HELP THE CHAWLA'S AS THIS CASE MOVES FOWARD.