Red and white banners reading “AFFA” for “Angels Forever, Forever Angels” greeted arrivals at the White Rock chapter of the Hells Angles at their Langley clubhouse on Saturday.
They were there to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the club in B.C.
While none were willing to be interviewed, one Hells Angels member could be heard explaining the event marked the date a B.C. biker club joined the Hells Angels.
“That was the day we patched over from Satan’s Angels,” he said.
Police officers and vehicles lined the road outside the clubhouse, including officers from Langley RCMP, Delta Police, Alberta law enforcement and the anti-gang Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unite (CFSEU).
Earlier, CFSEU Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton had said it was “well documented” that many Hells Angels, members of their supporting outlaw motorcycle gangs, and friends and associates, were involved in “significant levels of criminal activity, including trafficking potentially deadly fentanyl and violent offences like assaults and homicide.”
On the day, Houghton was among the police keeping a watchful eye on the Langley clubhouse.
“We have police officers from around the country to make sure that the motoring public and the community stay safe,” Houghton said.
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Many of the attendees were not arriving on motorcycles, Houghton explained.
“Many of them are taking cabs. They’ve got their own shuttle system. They’ve learned from having done this many, many times across the country that it doesn’t work really well when you have a lot of police officers watching for things like drinking and driving and motorcycle infractions,” Houghton told the Langley Advance Times.
“So they’ve taken a page out of the safety book and they’ll be shuttling in and making sure that they get to and from their party safe today.”
While the clubhouse itself is located behind high fences, tall bushes and a sliding gate covered with a material to prevent viewing, when it was opened up to allow arrivals to enter, several outdoor tents could be seen inside on the grounds, and a live band could be heard warming up.
More images can be viewed online at the Langley Advance Times Facebook page.
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