Ontario rallies for Indigenous rights

A candlelight vigil in support of jailed indigenous leaders turned into a celebration as nearly 80 Londoners gathered at the corner of Richmond and Central as part of the May 29th ‘National Day of Action' highlighting First Nations issues.

As more than 2,000 people rallied and marched from Queens Park to the disputed waterfront area of Toronto after a four day campout on the provincial legislatures front lawn, the London Coalition in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples and other supporters gathered at the North-West corner of Victoria Park with candles, signs, flags, drums, and other noisemakers to hear stories from elders and community activists, spoken word poetry, traditional drumming and music.

The gathering was organized in support of jailed indigenous leaders Bob Lovelace and the KI6 who were incarcerated for protecting their land from industrial pollution and exploitation. After hundreds of activists from their native communities and other supporters took over Queens Park for three consecutive days, the KI6 and Bob Lovelace were released to a joyous crowd in Toronto on May 28th.

The celebration carried over to other communities including London where the planned vigil was refocused on other issues such as the residential school genocide, third world conditions on reservations, the ‘2010 Olympic land grab,' the standoff in Caledonia, as well as various environmental issues.