NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC) President Todd Russell today issued the following statement condemning the recent arrest of Inuit protesters in Labrador:
“On July 21, three Inuit – Jim Learning, Eldred Davis and Marjorie Flowers – were taken into custody and jailed in Happy Valley-Goose Bay around their protest of the Muskrat Falls project. All three have strong convictions and have, for years, expressed their opposition to this project. Mr. Learning and Mr. Davis are NunatuKavut members and, while Mr. Learning is a NCC Councillor, NCC respects his rights as an individual to stand up for what he believes in and to act on those beliefs.”
“NCC calls for the immediate release of Jim, Eldred and Marjorie. We also demand that the Attorney General of Newfoundland and Labrador, who is responsible for the administration of justice in this province, do his job. We expect the administration of justice in this province to respect the nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous peoples and to live up to promises around reconciliation. It can, and must, do better.”
“I want Jim, Eldred and Marjorie to know that they are not alone. We will continue to fight for justice and for the right to peacefully assemble and protest.”
-NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC) President Todd Russell
Note: The above statement was shortened to accommodate the OK Radio broadcast. For the full statement, please visit http://www.nunatukavut.ca/home/.