Toronto

Idle No More peaceful Rally & March - demo outside Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers meeting & march to Queen's Park

11:30am
- 1:30pm
Monday December 10 2012

From Rising Tide Toronto:

MONDAY DEC 10! Idle No More - Confront CAPP, March to Queen's Park

FB Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/434396769947386/
Where: Toronto Metro Convention Center, 255 Front St.
When: Dec. 10, 2012, 11:30 AM

Idle No More, a group of Indigenous women, has made a peaceful call to action requesting acts of solidarity against governments and industries that use legislation and disregard free, prior and informed consent to further their agendas in the name of profit and progress, ignoring the natural law to live as one with Mother Earth.

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers(CAPP) are in Toronto December 10 – 12. CAPP and the oil companies they represent have been responsible for intense lobbying pressure in Ottawa for decades to remove legislation that protects First Nations, environmental and water rights in Canada in the name of the economy. 

December 10th marks the international day for Human Rights. Idle No More is requesting that all our relations take part in a peaceful demonstration of solidarity. 

As we all know, the government and numerous corporations have been disrespecting and ignoring basic human rights through policies, legislation and industry activities for profit. The government and industries have been failing to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. They have also been ignoring and pacifying the need to be responsible and live as one with Mother Earth. 

The Harper government assisted CAPP last week with the passing of Bill C-45, with changes to issues around indigenous, treaty, and constitutional rights. This was done without any consultation with Indigenous leadership. While First Nations leaders were held outside, this act was passed that simultaneously removed 90% of the lakes and waterways in Canada from protection under the Navigable Waters Protection Act. This has far reaching consequences. The Minister of Transport has gone so far as to suggest that the changes could ease the burden on companies seeking approval on new industrial projects.

Dec. 10, the first day of the CAPP convention in Toronto, also coincides with The Beaver Lake Cree Nations lawsuit against government and industry for thousands of treaty violations.  

“I read recently on the CAPP webpage a comment about the Toronto conference and it read ‘Get your piece of the $117 billion dollar pie’. This is a blatant example of how CAPP ignores the concerns of communities by putting money first.  As a grassroots member of the Beaver Lake Cree Nation standing in support of the litigation my nation is involved in, I choose to not be ignorant of the mass destruction of Mother Earth for financial gain. I have an obligation to my children and future generations and litigation like the lawsuit launched by BCFN will ultimately protect basic human rights to have clean air and water. Without the grassroots mobilizations, lawsuits like the Beaver Lake Cree’s would not be possible. I stand in solidarity with the grassroots people across Turtle Island!” - Crystal Lameman, member of the Beaver Lake Cree Nation, and Indigenous Environmental Network and Sierra Club Prairie Chapter Alberta TarSands Organizer

We as a collective must show the government and corporations that we will not be silent and apathetic to their activities. On this Dec 10, we are asking people to join a soft picket of the CAPP convention the join us on a march to Queen’s Park for a 1 pm rally, to remind the Petroleum Producers of Canada that the Beaver Lake Cree are supported in this struggle as they defend their traditional hunting territory and demand the respect for their inherent Treaty Rights that state they will always have the ability to go to the land to hunt, fish, and forage.

Please join us in this act of solidarity and be part of a great grassroots movement.