London Motorcycle Show

Bikers plan police showdown


JOHN HERBERT, Free Press Reporter 2004-01-29 03:38:50







A member of the Hells Angels will hold a high-noon showdown Saturday
with London police at their Dundas Street headquarters. Larry Pooler, also
organizer of the London Motorcycle Show, said yesterday police pressured
property managers and owners of the former No Frills grocery store near the
corner of Wonderland and Southdale roads, to not allow this weekend's bike
show in their building.

So Pooler is calling on motorcycle enthusiasts and vendors -- as well
as Hells Angels members -- who would have attended this weekend's show to
join him at a protest to denounce the police actions.

He said he expects at least 100 supporters.

But Det. Supt. Rick Gillespie said the property manager, Olympia &
York Properties Corp., and the building owner, Loblaw's, were surprised to
learn from police a bike show was to take place in their building.

The building is leased to Brian Finch Pontiac Buick GMC Ltd., which
subleased to Pooler.

"We were very surprised the property owner did not know a motorcycle
show was going to be there,'' Gillespie said.

"Still, we did not tell them they should not hold the show . . . It
became evident speaking to the owner and property manager they were not
comfortable having members of an outlaw organized crime group operating a
show out of their building.''

A spokesperson with Olympia & York declined comment and car dealer
Ryan Finch could not be reached last night.

"The London police stance is, and always has been, that motorcycle
shows are a great thing for the community,'' Gillespie said. "What has
always concerned us is some potentially violent events, which have occurred
at the show. These have come about because of the tendency of outlaw
motorcycle gang members to attend and choose to have confrontations in these
public places that concern us.''

There were tense moments at the show three years ago at Western Fair
when Hells Angels and rival club Bandidos verbally confronted each other.

After that, Western Fair didn't renew a deal with Pooler for future
shows.

Pooler tried to hold last year's show at the former Ex-Cello plant on
Weston Street, but moved it to Woodstock at the last moment after the city
told him the site wasn't zoned for such shows.

Gillespie said police would be at Saturday's protest at noon.

The last time the bike show was held in London, Pooler said, about
15,000 attended. Last year, about 9,000 attended in Woodstock.



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