Hundreds rally at city hall in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en land defenders
Credit to Author: Postmedia News| Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2020 03:48:10 +0000
A rally involving hundreds of demonstrators took place Sunday afternoon at Vancouver City Hall in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en First Nation.
Crowds gathered in protest of the raids and police action taking place at the Gidimt’en checkpoint and Unist’ot’en camp in northwest B.C., where Indigenous groups and supporters have been protesting the Coastal GasLink pipeline’s construction in traditional Wet’suwet’en territory.
A number of people spoke and performed at the rally, including Audrey Siegel of the Musqueam Nation; Kukpi7 Judy Wilson of the Neskonlith Indian Band and secretary-treasurer of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs; the B.C. Civil Liberties Association’s executive director Harsha Walia; Jolene Andrews; Lorelei Williams of Butterflies in Spirit; and Naia Lee.
“This is a struggle for Wet’suwet’en land..&every single person, every settler has a responsibility because this is our government..Horgan says that this is being done to uphold the public interest..this is not in our interest!”@HarshaWalia @ Vancouver City Hall #WetsuwetenStrong pic.twitter.com/yjcSrW70Mq
The rally is among a number of events taking place across B.C. in protest of the pipeline project. The events come as arrests continue to mount at protest camps near the GasLink pipeline’s construction zone.
A day earlier, protesters blockaded all three entrances to the Port of Vancouver, in a bid to put pressure on politicians and financially squeeze resource-extraction companies. It was the third day of blockades at the port.
Hundreds of people stood in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en land defenders who are facing violent and ongoing raids by the RCMP at Gidimt’en checkpoint and Unist’ot’en camp as they protest at City Hall in Vancouver, BC, February 9, 2020.
In late December, the Supreme Court granted GasLink an expanded injunction to clear protesters and continue construction. In response, the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs issued the company with an eviction notice in early January.
As a result, Mounties arrested 11 people Saturday who allegedly barricaded themselves in a warming centre at the 27-kilometre mark of the Morice West Forest Service Road. Those arrested are accused of breaching a court injunction related to opposition to the 670-km pipeline project that crosses Wet’suwet’en traditional territory near Smithers, located more than 1,100 km northwest of Vancouver.
Wet’suwet’en supporters say the RCMP expanded the zone covered by the court injunction when it moved in to arrest the 11 people.
Meanwhile, Indigenous youth and supporters continue to camp overnight on the front steps of the B.C. legislature in Victoria.
Protesters blocked Victoria’s downtown Johnson Street Bridge on Saturday and other groups of protesters continue their presence at Vancouver ports and railway lines in Ontario.
–With files from The Canadian Press