Roth Finishes Protest Walk in Time for Riel Day

Roth Finishes Protest Walk in Time for Riel Day

Tuesday, November 16, 2004 at 14:51

 

 

Metis Nation – Saskatchewan president Dwayne Roth has finished his protest walk from Saskatoon to Regina and is leading a demonstration in front of the legislature this afternoon.

 

Today’s also the 119th anniversary of the hanging of Metis leader Louis Riel — and that’s not a coincidence.

 

Roth deliberately timed his arrival in Regina with Louis Riel Day in order to draw a parallel between his group’s struggle with the provincial government and Riel’s struggle with the government of his day.

 

The province is refusing to recognize Roth’s leadership in the wake of the damning Lampard report into this year’s disputed Metis election.

 

Roth and his supporters held Louis Riel Day Commemoration Services at the RCMP depot this morning.

 

Roth says as many as 200 protestors might join him on the steps of the legislature this afternoon.

 

Meanwhile, representatives of a splinter Metis group that’s disputing the Metis election are holding an event in Regina today of their own.

 

The Provisional Metis Council hopes to draw attention to the spending scandals at METSI and MACSI during an afternoon press conference.