The aboriginal day of action has come and gone in Canada and the country is largely better for it. Across the land, native communities expressed their hopes and fears in actions that were, with a few notable exceptions, entirely lawful. Good for them.
But in eastern Ontario, the action taken was not legal but, instead, a violation of the law of the land and the rights of the general public. A small group of native protesters blockaded Highway 401 as well as Highway 2 and the main Canadian National Railway line between Montreal and Toronto. The leader of the natives, Shawn Brant, warned that they were armed with guns and ready to respond violently if provoked. This action, in marked contrast to the other demonstrations, was totally unacceptable. If not checked, it will threaten the civil peace and order of the nation.
