I don't think we're getting the full picture and context from the Dominion Post excerpts.

Without context, it's impossible to tell if the threats were genuine. Not to borrow legal defenses from "My Cousin Vinny," but what if they were being sarcastic? Sarcasm does not show up well in text or transcripts - it can only be inferred from the context.

I think the police may have had a justified reaction - but my gut tells me that the raids were an overreaction that scooped up innocent people in with the possibly guilty.