Landback Lane organizer receives absolute discharge on all charges

Nearly three years after a land dispute near Caledonia boiled over, leading to the arrest of several Indigenous demonstrators, one of the leaders of the occupation has received an absolute discharge on all charges.

Nearly three years after a land dispute near Caledonia boiled over, leading to the arrest of several Indigenous demonstrators, one of the leaders of the occupation has received an absolute discharge on all charges.

Six Nations man, Skylar Williams, was facing multiple charges for his role in the 1492 Landback Lane movement.

Speaking to CTV News on Thursday, Williams said after hearing from experts about the historical context, the judge ruled his actions were not criminal.

“The system is so broken that we have, on one side, civil court judges that are listening to these million-dollar lawyers that these developers can get, then you've got criminal court judges that are saying ‘Of course they stood on the lands, that's their lands,’” Williams said. 

The charges against Williams date to the summer of 2020.

In late July, a group of Six Nations members set up camp at the site of a proposed housing development outside Caledonia, naming it 1492 Landback Lane.