Labrador Inuit-Metis file complaint against RCMP after arrests

HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, NL – The group that represents the Inuit-Metis of southern Labrador has launched a complaint alleging the RCMP discriminated against them during a protest last month.

The NunatuKavut Community Council filed the complaint with the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP.

Get breaking National news

Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Get Started

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Todd Russell, president of the council, says he believes the RCMP infringed upon their rights of freedom of speech and assembly at a protest against the Muskrat Falls project on April 5.

The RCMP arrested eight people, including Russell.

At the time, the Mounties said the protesters were blocking the Trans-Labrador Highway, though the council says they slowed down but didn’t obstruct traffic.

Russell says the RCMP’s response to their protest stands in stark contrast to how the Mounties respond to protests by other aboriginal groups across Canada.