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Muskrat Falls opponent and Inuk Grandmother Beatrice Hunter released!

Inuk grandmother Beatrice Hunter’s incarceration ended today at Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador (in Happy Valley-Goose Bay) after she was jailed for 10 days after refusing to stay 1km from the Muskrat Falls site. Today, the judge agreed to modify her court injunction conditions from this past fall to allow her to be at the site, however she will be arrested if she tries to block access to the site in any way.




People gathered outside the courthouse in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, awaiting Beatrice Hunter’s release, June 9, 2017 (photo: Labrador Land Protectors)

Supporters including the Labrador Land Protectors held events during her incarceration, including rallies and vigils, and even initiated “National Call Ball Day to Release Beatrice Hunter” which was yesterday, Thursday June 8, 2017.


Demands

The petition calling to release Hunter stated: “We are calling on the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Dwight Ball, who is ALSO Minister of Labrador, Intergovernmental, and Indigenous Affairs, as well as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr, and Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada Minister Carolyn Bennett, to immediately intervene and meet the following demands:


  1. Immediate release of Beatrice Hunter


  2. Dropping of all charges against Labrador Land Protectors and lifting of the anti-democratic injunction against land protectors brought by NALCOR Energy


  3. Cancel the Muskrat Falls hydro project because it is too dangerous in the short and long term, whether from catastrophic collapse of the North Spur (which is built on quick clay, which moves) or from methyl mercury poisoning.”

Now that Beatrice Hunter has been released, we’ll be watching and supporting grassroots opponents of Muskrat Falls to ensure the other two demands are not forgotten.


Council involvement

The St. John’s chapter has been actively supporting a solidarity campaign in the provincial capital and Energy and Climate Justice campaigner Daniel Cayley-Daoust spoke at a rally in Ottawa today about Beatrice Hunter’s incarceration and the Muskrat Falls project. The Council sent a letter of support of concerns regarding safety aspects of the North Spur and calling for a complete and independent review of the project, sent by the Labrador Land Protectors and the Grand Riverkeeper in April.

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