New legislative session met with protests led by Acadian, Indigenous groups [video]

Three hundred people filled Fredericton’s streets banging pans and blowing horns in a Tintamarre for Acadian, Francophone and Indigenous rights on Tuesday, October 25.

Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick and Mi’gmawe’l Tplu’taqnn Inc. joined with the Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick to organize the protest. 

“We are here today to talk in a common front with our sisters and brothers, the Indigenous people, to send a strong message to the Higgs government that we need some reconciliation,” said Alexandre Cédric Doucet, president of the Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick. 

“We expect one thing, one word, respect, that’s all,” he said before the protesters marched to the Legislative Assembly, where Lt.-Gov. Brenda Murphy delivered the provincial government’s speech from the throne. 

Check out raw footage of the protest captured by reporter Arun Budhathoki: 

Arun Budhathoki is a journalist with the NB Media Co-op. This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada, administered by the Canadian Association of Community Television Stations and Users (CACTUS).