All across these lands, in almost twenty cities and communities, there will be rallies on Thursday April 2 to honour Cindy Gladue’s life and to demand justice for her with a specific call for a re-trial (please see below).

Cindy Gladue was a 36-year old Indigenous mother of two who was murdered by Bradley Barton in an Edmonton motel room four years ago. Last week, an almost all-white and all-male jury decided to acquit her killer, a white Ontario man, because they believed that Cindy had consented to the violence that caused her to bleed to death. This verdict represents a larger ongoing pattern of colonial gendered violence.

Earlier this month, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) concluded that Canada, “has failed to ensure that Aboriginal women are protected against discrimination committed by public institutions.”

And in December of 2014 the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights stated, “disappearances and murders of indigenous women in Canada are part of a broader pattern of violence and discrimination against indigenous women in Canada.”

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is visiting BC this month and the previous UN Special Rapporteur Dr. Anaya stated that “indigenous women and girls remain vulnerable to abuse” due to complex and intersecting historical and present issues stemming from the impacts of colonialism. Dr. Anaya noted the disproportionately high rate that Indigenous women and girls are victims of violent crime, and that “since 1996, there have been at least 29 official inquiries and reports dealing with aspects of this issue, which have made over 500 recommendations for action.”

We demand justice for Cindy Gladue and all missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

Thank you for joining us,
Feb 14th Women’s Memorial March Committee.

* IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO JOIN *

If you are unable to join us, but want to show your support, you can sign the petition at https://www.change.org/p/honourable-jonathan-denis-qc-mla-minister-of-justice-and-solicitor-general-initiate-an-appeal-of-justice-for-cindy-gladue

We also call on you to join in the push for a retrial. Crown Prosecutor Carole Godfrey has only one month to initiate an appeal for a retrial.

Respectfully request that the prosecutor initiate an appeal to retry Bradley Barton for the original charges of second-degree murder, based on the extensive biases and mistreatment that are clear in our article and numerous other media articles:

Crown Prosecutor Carole Godfrey
6th Floor, J.E. Brownlee Building
10365 – 97th Street
Edmonton, AB T5J 3W7
Telephone: 780-422-1111
Fax: 780-422-9756
E-mail: edmontonprosecutions@gov.ab.ca

Write to Alberta Justice Minister and Solicitor General Jonathan Denis, who would have to approve the call for an appeal:

Honourable Jonathan Denis QC MLA
Minister of Justice and Solicitor General
3rd floor, Bowker Building, 9833 – 109 Street.
Edmonton, Alberta, T5K 2E8
Phone: 780-427-2339
Fax: 780-422-6621
Email: ministryofjustice@gov.ab.ca

(Write and call-in information via Naomi Sayers and Sarah Hunt, image credit Angela Sterritt)

There will be a vigil and rally seeking justice for Cindy Gladue this Thursday, April 2, at 10:30 am, at the Supreme Court of BC (800 Hornby St.), in Vancouver, organized by the February  14th Women’s Memorial March Committee. Please see the attached poster and hope to see you there.

Here is the Facebook event page: https://m.facebook.com/events/446813728815761/?ref=m_notif&notif_t=plan_user_joined

Background (set out on FB event page):

* Additional Events

Justice For Cindy Gladue – Algonquin Territory, Ottawa: https://www.facebook.com/events/659410977496946/

Justice For Cindy Gladue – Edmonton: https://www.facebook.com/events/419958091508690/

Justice and Vigil for Cindy Gladue Calgary/Treaty 7/Blackfoot Confederacy: https://www.facebook.com/events/1501176266769571/

Justice for Cindy Gladue – Victoria, on Lkwungen territories: https://www.facebook.com/events/1606587266225135/

Justice for Cindy Gladue – Saskatoon: https://www.facebook.com/events/1411748372467390/

Justice For Cindy Gladue – Regina: https://www.facebook.com/events/1578080472462451/

Justice for Cindy Gladue – St. John’s, NL: https://www.facebook.com/events/516826465122931/

Justice for Cindy Gladue – Kenora/Treaty 3: https://www.facebook.com/events/682805831848855/

Justice and Vigil for Cindy Gladue Treaty 1 Solidarity Action Winnipeg: https://www.facebook.com/events/614292468672452/

No Justice No Peace – Honouring Cindy Gladue – Toronto: https://www.facebook.com/events/1592063801041473/

Justice for Cindy Gladue, an event in Nogojiwanong (Peterborough): https://www.facebook.com/events/357892087750793/

Justice for Cindy Gladue – Lac La Biche, Alberta: https://www.facebook.com/events/897332023620446/

Justice for Cindy Gladue- Treaty 7 Blackfoot Territory, Lethbridge, Alberta: https://www.facebook.com/events/934387869934355/

Justice for Cindy Gladue –Saskatoon Art-In: https://www.facebook.com/events/692227500888667/

Justice for Cindy Gladue – St. Paul and Area: https://www.facebook.com/events/716924471749736/