jailed for protecting greenspace

. . .02.19.2008
Jailing of aboriginal protesters disturbing, say Greens
OTTAWA – The Green Party of Canada expressed concerns regarding the incarceration of Ardoch Algonquin First Nation's representative Robert Lovelace and called for a swift response from the federal government.
On February 15th, Bob Lovelace, a professor at Queen's University and Fleming College, was given six months in prison and fined $25,000 for contempt of court. Mr. Lovelace was protesting with indigenous peoples against uranium mining on lands that are claimed by the Algonquin peoples, in and around Sharbot Lake, Ontario.
"This is a very unfortunate situation that could and should have been avoided," said Green Party leader Elizabeth May. "Although it is not the place of the federal government to intervene in individual decisions of the courts, this case should lead us to reconsider Canada's approach to aboriginal peoples. It is time for the federal government to begin putting in place measures that will lead to genuine respect and reconciliation for Canada's aboriginal peoples—measures that will lead to equality and self-governance."
The Green Party is calling for:
The federal and provincial governments to recommit to consulting with aboriginal groups prior to allowing development on any lands claimed by First Nations peoples.
The federal government to make political negotiations with aboriginal groups a priority rather than allowing these conflicts to flare up in the courts.
"It is incidents like this that bring the Canadian justice system into disrepute with aboriginal peoples," said Green Party Aboriginal Affairs Critic Lorraine Rekmans. "The federal government must make political negotiations with aboriginal peoples a priority. Reconciliation between aboriginal and immigrant peoples will only come through negotiations that establish the constitutional protection of aboriginal self-government within the Canadian federation."
For several years the Green Party has been calling on the federal government to prioritize First Nations autonomy from the Indian Act and work towards self-government for Aboriginal peoples across the country. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SIX MONTHS IN PRISON PLUS 25,000 DOLLAR FINE,BOB LOVELACE,FIRST NATIONS REPRESENTATIVE . . . . . . .HIS . . . CRIME . .?? . . .PROTECTING . . .THE . . .ENVIRONMENT . . FROM . . . DESTRUCTION ...DUE . . .TO . . URANIUM . . MINING . . . . .(AN. .ECOLOGICAL..DISASTER)

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