OTTAWA – The Green Party of Canada stands by their Deputy Leader Rainbow Eyes. The Green Party Deputy Leader will be filing an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, and she hopes to be released on bail at a hearing this morning, April 10th.
As Rainbow Eyes is a nominated candidate for the Northwest Territories, the Green Party of Canada is honoured to have a courageous Indigenous land defender as Deputy leader. The party hopes justice will prevail and that she will be allowed to campaign in the Northwest Territories in this snap election.
No one can campaign from a jail cell. Democracy demands that non-violent acts of civil disobedience in accordance with Indigenous law be respected.
“There is much that needs to be determined and we fervently hope the Supreme Court of Canada will grant leave to appeal,” said Green Party co-Leader Elizabeth May. “We stand in solidarity with Rainbow Eyes in her defence of the old growth forest and Fairy Creek and Indigenous rights in defence of Mother Earth.”
“All too often the law protects the powerful at the expense of the most vulnerable–nature and those who fight for the sanctity of our planet,” said co-Leader Jonathan Pedneault. “Rainbow Eyes fights for nature, for people, for the planet. Her only crime was to disrespect a court order that upheld laws putting private interest above the public good. Greens fight for the rule of law, and we want to change those laws to ensure they recognize our common responsibility to protect our territory, nature and resources from those who exploit them without regard for Indigenous knowledge and custodianship, sustainability and biodiversity. We are proud to stand by Rainbow Eyes. While we respect the courts’ decisions, we certainly support its appeal process.”
Rainbow Eyes stands with Martin Luther King jr, Gandhi and all figures of human history who teach us to honour and prioritize the eternal laws, and how the rules made by men, quite literally, must mirror something greater.
#####
For more information or to arrange an interview :
Fabrice Lachance Nové
Press secretary
514-463-0021
Rod Legget
Senior Advisor, Strategic Communications
613-203-1524