'IT'S THE DEALERS THAT ARE DOING THE BEATING'

For the second evening in a row, young people were standing guard on
Main Street on Thursday to send drug dealers a message: get out of
Whitehorse.

At 6 p.m., about 30 young Whitehorse residents began collecting
outside Main Street's Capital Hotel to raise awareness of the violent
effects of the city's drug trade on young people.

In a series of interviews outside the Capital, a group of young
people, who spoke to the Star on a condition of anonymity, said they
were again standing guard outside downtown bars to pressure drug
dealers to leave town.

"We need to get rid of the people selling drugs to people in
Whitehorse," one young person said. "This has been building up for a
long time.

"The Dustball dance, that set it off. It's the dealers that are doing
the beating."

The young person said the group is trying to get the attention of
Whitehorse and Yukon authorities to let them know they need help --
and they need it now.

"Hopefully, this gets more people aware of what's going
on.

"We want pressure on them from the police, we want special drug units
sent up here from down south, we want to put pressure on the
politicians and the people who hold authority in this community; we
want an end to this.

"You should be able to go out to a bar with your friends, have a beer
and watch the hockey game and not fear violence."

At last weekend's Dustball dance, two people were assaulted. One was
rendered unconscious and the other had some of his teeth knocked out.

On Wednesday evening, following an anti-drug/violence rally at Rotary
Peace Park, 50 people peacefully entered the Capital Hotel to ask a
suspected drug dealer to leave.

The group, according to the Capital's owner, Maurice Byblow, then
split up, with half remaining at the Capital and the other half going
to different parts of downtown to tell other drug dealers they are not
welcome in Whitehorse.

Byblow told the Star Thursday he has noticed an Outside element taking
over the drug trade in the city operating in his and other bars over
the past year and has witnessed violence both in and out of his bar.

"It's happening in my bar, and it's happening in every bar," Byblow
said.

The Capital Hotel will now have a zero tolerance policy for drugs and
violence, with offenders being barred from entering the hotel.

Another member of the group standing outside the Capital Thursday
evening said they were doing so because the RCMP didn't appear to be
able to do anything about the problems associated with drug dealers
and the violence they inflict on others.

"It's not that we're doing the RCMP's job, it's just that they don't
seem to have the resources to handle this problem.

"It's about time somebody put their foot down," the member said. "The
cops can see these people standing in front of the buildings in this
city, but they don't seem to be able to do anything about it.

"There's a lot of people who have been beaten up and we'd like to see
them out of town.

"We're just saying we have to stick together. They have to leave town,
and that's it," the member said.

Another young person, who was holding a baseball bat as he stood
amongst the crowd, said he was carrying it for defensive purposes.

"I brought a bat in case I need it; they brought out a bat on two of
my friends," the young person said.

The person expressed frustration with the violence and the impacts the
drug trade has had on people.

"A few of my friends got hooked on drug;, it's really blown up in the
last year."

RCMP officials could be reached for comment this morning.