BIKER NEWS: RNC Accused of Trying to Leash the Krakens

BIKER NEWS -- The City of Mount Pearl says it's up to the Lions Club to decide whether to allow a motorcycle club with a less-than-stellar reputation into tomorrow's Santa Claus Parade.

A spokesman for the Krakens says the group has been told by the Lions Club, the organizers of the parade, that the RNC do not want them in the parade because of an association with criminal biker gangs.

Mike Keating says the group has been a part of the parade for the past four years but was told yesterday that were no longer welcome.

Mount Pearl Mayor Randy Simms says the Lions Club does a great job with the parade, and it's up to them to decide who participates.

Simms is familiar with a couple of motorcycle groups in the city, but not the Krakens.

Earlier Story

A member of a local motorcycle club out of Mount Pearl is calling their exclusion from the upcoming Mount Pearl Christmas Parade an act of bullying by the RNC and RCMP. 

Mike Keating says the Kraken Motorcycle Club has been a part of the parade for the last four years, but yesterday was told that their float was no longer welcome in the parade.

Keating says he was told by the police that they weren't welcome because the club associated with criminal biker gangs. According to Keating, the RNC called the Lions Club to make sure the bikers were not allowed in the parade. 

Keating says the issue is that his club may have at some point ridden with members of a criminal motocycle gang. He thinks it's unfair that merely knowing members of another organization precludes his club's participation in the parade.

He says the club has been under surveillance for the last three years, despite no one in the club having committed any crimes. He says they simply wanted to put a float in the parade as they have for the last few years.

This article was first published on December 4 2015

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