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Idle No More protestors take to Brandon streets

By: Staff Writer

Friday, Jan. 11, 2013 at 10:02 PM

BRUCE BUMSTEAD/BRANDON SUN Enlarge Image

Students lead the march from Brandon University to the intersection of 18th Street and Victoria Avenue during Friday's "Idle No More" demonstration. About 200 people joined the Idle No More protest.

Braving cold conditions, more than 200 Idle No More protestors sang and danced inside Brandon’s busiest intersection yesterday evening.

At 5 p.m. protestors gathered at 18th Street and Victoria Avenue to show their displeasure with Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s controversial record on issues such as the environment and First Nation relations.

"It’s people taking a stand against Bill-C45," said Brandon University Aboriginal Student Council president Julia Stoneman, who helped organize the protest.

Stoneman explained that the movement began when four women from Saskachewan created a discussion around Bill C-45, an omnibus bill introduced by the Conservative government.

The bill ammended the Indian Act, Fisheries Act, the Navigable Waters Protection Act and Evironmental Protection Act.

"It’s important to us and it’s important to everyone," Stoneman said.

About an hour before the protests began, police started re-routing traffic around the intersection to ensure the protest remained peaceful.

Then, more than 200 people — aborignial and non-aboriginal, old and young — took to the street after a ceremonial smudge.

As they marched toward the intersection, carrying signs that read "Honour our treaties," "Ask Questions," and one that likened Harper to "Hitler," a protester shouted "Idle" to which the group shouted back "No more."

» For the full story, see Saturday's Brandon Sun

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