CPTnet
November 6, 2003
HAMILTON, ONTARIO: People of faith redeem valley

On the morning of Nov. 4, 2003, about 250 people of faith from southern
Ontario processed prayerfully up the Red Hill Creek Valley in Hamilton, ON
to the new "no trespassing" site on the Niagara Escarpment. The city of
Hamilton clear-cut the site-- designated by UNESCO as a World Biosphere
Reserve--last week to make way for an expressway.

Reverend Canon Patrick Doran, of St. Paul's
Anglican Church in Hamilton organized the walk. Doran said, "As we think of
the lives of those we call saints, we see them standing in solidarity with
the marginalized and powerless, even as Christ our Lord did. It's not that I
want to be arrested. I am simply called to stand with those who have
attempted to stop the destruction of a beautiful and, indeed, sacred space.
Having watched protesters being arrested and rounded up this past week, and
knowing the irreversible damage that is being done, I find myself in this
place. I protest the blindness of destroying the heritage of our children."

Several Anglican priests, retired Anglican
Bishop John Bothwell, Presbyterian minister Kathy Kroeker, and members of
other faith groups joined Doran in the walk. The procession was led by a
"colour party" of Haudenosaunee ("People of the Longhouse") carrying flags.
The Haudenosaunee have tended a sacred fire and Longhouse in the valley
since August 2003, peacefully asserting their rights to this land and
protecting their ancestors buried in the valley. On Nov. 3, Hamilton police
gave
notice that they will evict occupants of the Longhouse by Nov. 7.

At the site of the recent clear-cut, five private security guards stopped
the procession. When Rev. Doran stepped onto the "no trespass" area,
Hamilton police arrested him and led him to three waiting police cars.
Twelve people, including Christian Peacemaker Teams member Murray Lumley,
then crossed the line onto the site and sat down on the cut trees, singing
hymns with the remaining crowd. The security guards threatened them with
arrest.

The potential arrestees and the crowd then decided to accompany the police
vehicles in support of Rev. Doran. As they began to move up the hill, a
security guard said that they could also be charged with leaving the scene
of a crime. Lumley said, "As I surveyed the devastation of clear-cutting, I
realized that he was correct. This was the scene of a great crime against
creation."

At the top of the hill, the potential arrestees melted into the rest of the
crowd. Then, as the police vehicle carrying Rev. Doran tried to leave,
people began to sing "Amazing Grace" and blocked the car. After twenty
minutes, the police released Doran from the vehicle "without conditions,"
and the police left.

CPTer Doug Pritchard said, "It was like Paul and Silas in Acts 16, in prison
singing hymns, when the Lord opened the prison doors and released them. But
unlike that incident, the authorities did not come to Rev. Doran to
apologize for the arrest."