Canadian Authorities Mistakenly Believe That 'Idle No More' Will Run Out Of Gas If Left Idling

Yesterday all across Canada protesters marched in the streets blocking traffic, they blockaded railways and bridges including a blockade at North America's busiest border crossing. They banged on their drums, had lottsa round dances and rallies and proudly displayed their 'Idle No More' signs. It was another day of non-violent protest by Canada's First Nations' peoples who are attempting to keep the focus of the fickle attention of non-Aboriginals on the real issues of environmental protection and treaty obligations that started their uprising.

Even a partial list of the hundreds of rallies yesterday shows clearly that 'Idle No More' is far from running out of gas. In fact it's growing broader in both its tactics and its effectiveness. Their chant that "the whole world is watching" is born out by the huge number of international media outlets running stories and pictorial essays about the movement every day.

One part of the story, that of why the police haven't cracked down on the blockades, illuminates their effectiveness. In advance of yesterday's rallies Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Chris Lewis defended the police's handling of the 'Idle No More' protests on Youtube in response to widespread criticism, especially from the right-wing. In it Lewis said, "These concepts and strategies developed from experience, hard work and common sense are difficult and complex to explain to the general public." Lewis also said, "Public safety is the primary concern." and he trumpeted the fact that there haven't been any reports of injuries to protesters, police or members of the public at the protests in OPP jurisdiction.

What Lewis didn't say was that the "strategies developed from experience" have taught them that effect of cracking down on non-violent First Nations demonstrations is increased sympathy and an intensified media spotlight on the underlying issues driving the movement. Exactly what the government and the army of the rich [the police] don't want.

What Lewis and the government really believe is that: 'When you leave something idling, it normally runs out of gas.' That's what they want and expect, but their metaphorical fantasy isn't real. These aren't normal times, these aren't normal issues, these protesters aren't motivated by the normal bourgeois dreams. Instead these protesters are the idealistic youth not the already corrupted leadership. They have grownup in an inter-connected world where their issues are every one's issues. The biggest mistake the authorities have made is that they don't believe the slogan 'Idle No More' is true. That, the authorities misreading of the long term and widespread impact of being 'Idle No More', will be their undoing.