Yesterday, the Council of Canadians participated in the ‘Black Out, Speak Out’ campaign by darkening our national website. Our message was that the Harper government’s Budget Implementation Act further weakens environmental regulations in Canada. We believe that environmental laws must be strengthened, that public participation should be encouraged, and that Indigenous rights must be respected.
The Winnipeg Free Press reported, “Environmental organizations, organized labour and groups such as the Council of Canadians participated in Monday’s national Black Out Speak Out campaign, saying it was just the beginning of a sustained initiative. A website devoted to the campaign had close to 11,000 online signatures in support of its efforts by early afternoon Monday.”
The Telegram reported, “St. John’s hosted one of five public rallies being held across the country today, aiming to get out the Black Out Speak Out message. …Representing both the Council of Canadians and the Sandy Pond Alliance, Ken Kavanagh raised objections to statements made by federal Conservatives, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper. ‘It’s the insidious way … in which he is dismissing and insulting and demonizing many of us who are ordinary citizens because we want to speak out and because we don’t agree with him,’ he told the gathering of about three dozen people.”
Along with the Winnipeg and St. John’s chapters, the Guelph, Hamilton, Ottawa, and Victoria chapters also participated in the day.
Council of Canadians energy campaigner Maryam Adrangi’s blog on the day is at http://canadians.org/blog/?p=15606, while our participation in the June 4th action was announced in this campaign blog, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=15461.
