After the concert, and critical media attention given to the HAMC, Sonny Barger went on a local California radio station to justify the actions of the HAMC and to present their side of the story. He claimed that violence only started once the crowd began vandalizing the Hells Angels' motorcycles.

In the sixties, during the Vietnam era, the group offered its "services" to the U.S. military in its conflicts abroad. Although they were never taken up on their offer, many who previously idealized the group as a counterculture began to see this alliance with the government as a betrayal. Antagonism between the Hells Angels and anti-war counter-culture groups manifested itself in physical violence when members attacked demonstrators at the Vietnam Day Committee march in Berkeley.

Canada

In the province of Quebec, Canada, the Hells Angels have gained immense notoriety. Police claim that the club controls much of the organized crime in the province. Criminologists believe that the 1970s Royal Commission on Organized Crime (CECO: Commission d'Enquêtes sur le Crime Organisé), formed to combat the Montreal based mafia, allowed the Hells Angels to flourish by greatly reducing would-be competitors. Before the commission, the Hells Angels were reputed to be the thugs of the Montreal mafia, but in the power vacuum left in the wake of the commission, the Hells Angels managed to effectively gain control of much of the crime in the province. In the years following 1994, biker wars in the province have resulted in more than 100 deaths (including a child killed by an exploding car bomb), 84 bombings, 130 reported cases of arson, and 9 missing persons. In the fall of 2001, The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Sûreté du Québec conducted major raids in many different locations of the province. Many high-ranking members were arrested along with prospects and other associates. The operation was codenamed Printemps 2001 (Spring 2001).

Despite the continued growth of Hells Angels clubs in Canada, both in Quebec and in Ontario, various law enforcement agencies continue to crack down on the organization. While some consider Canada to be the unofficial home to a new modern Hells Angels movement—one based on the original tenets of the club (i.e., protection for those who cannot protect themselves)—the organization continues to face opposition from police forces and other elements of Canadian society.

In March 2005, Route 81—the official store of the Hells Angels—opened an outlet in Prince Edward Island to join existing outlets in Moncton, Halifax and Toronto. The numbers 8 and 1 correspond to where the letters 'H' and 'A' fall within the alphabet.

In January 2006, Operation Husky resulted^* in the arrest of twenty-seven suspects, including five 'full-patch' Angels from across Eastern and Central Canada.

Media speculation has suggested that this operation, an effort conducted by a combination of agencies including the RCMP, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Sûreté du Québec may result in the end of the club's presence in Canada. Some familiar with the inner workings of the Angels suggest that a new effort focusing on modernization of the club—with a concentration on education and harm reduction—may help restore the image of the Hells Angels among an aging law enforcement community that finds it easy to target biker clubs. In some parts of Canada, it is illegal to wear symbols identifying yourself with a motorcycle club, while symbols of identification and recognition among other groups are permitted because of a failure by law enforcement to recognize the credentials and identifying symbols of gang culture.

Hells Angels vs. Disney

In March 2006, the Hells Angels sued Walt Disney Co. for allegedly engaging in trademark infringement. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court of California alleges that an upcoming Disney film entitled Wild Hogs^* uses both the name and distinctive logo of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corp. without permission. The movie, tentatively set for release in 2007 and starring John Travolta, Tim Allen and Martin Lawrence is described on the Internet Movie Database as "a group of middle-aged wannabe bikers look for adventure out on the open road, where they soon encounter a chapter of the Hell's Angels."

Notes