Avril Lavigne Shouts Down Protestor at Juno Awards

According to numerous reports, the singer was interrupted by a climate activist while presenting at the Juno Awards last night. During her introduction for musician AP Dhillon, a topless person got on stage with words written across their body. Most legible was the phrase "SAVE THE GREENBELT," which refers to protected land that will partially undergo residential development as authorized by the Ontario government.

In response to the incident, Lavigne said "Get the fuck off, get the fuck off, bitch!" After security had them escorted away, Lavigne remarked, "Now nobody try anything this time or the Canadian's gonna come out of me and I'll fuck a bitch up."

While many have roundly mocked the protestor for taking their top off, the message behind their act of protest has mostly been lost.

In December, CBC reported that the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (a Mississauga Ojibwa First Nation located in Ontario) had asked the Ontario government to repeal housing legislation that would directly affect a strip of protected land known as the Greenbelt. In a letter published on Twitter that month, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation said that Ontario's government "has a legal obligation to consult with Aboriginal peoples" for such sweeping changes that would "adversely impact asserted or established Aboriginal or Treaty Rights."

In a January interview, Chief Stacey Laforme said the province had yet to meet with them about Bill 23, which would impact the Greenbelt, and that they'd considered legal action against the government.

The legislation has also angered Ontarians across the province and spurred Change.org petitions, local demonstrations, and activists like the person at last night's Juno Awards. In February, the Ontario New Democratic Party submitted evidence for an investigation into the legislation that they claim shows how Doug Ford's government had colluded with developers to destroy the protected land.

Of course, the media and onlookers have glossed over their mostly clear message as the ramblings of a "streaker," a descriptor which has appeared frequently in headlines about the incident.

Photo via Dale MacMillan/Getty.