Granville bridge re-opened following earlier Wet’suwet’en solidarity demonstration
Credit to Author: Tiffany Crawford| Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2020 02:17:19 +0000
The Granville Street Bridge has been re-opened in both directions after a pipeline protest earlier in the day shut down the span into downtown Vancouver.
Hundreds of supporters of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs, who are fighting against a pipeline in northern B.C., marched downtown early Wednesday and stopped in the 600-block of Granville Street near the Coastal GasLink offices. From there, they moved to the intersection of Granville and Drake, at the foot of the Granville Street Bridge.
Vancouver police say there have been no arrests but said traffic was affected in both directions on the bridge. Around 4:30 p.m., police announced the span was re-opened to traffic.
#VanTraffic: Protestors have shut down the Granville Street Bridge to traffic in both directions. Drivers are advised to avoid the area. pic.twitter.com/Tz7pXgIVom
B.C. Premier John Horgan spoke to reporters Wednesday about the protesters, saying they have the right to peacefully demonstrate but they need to allow others their liberty, and allow people to go other way.
Horgan was referring to protests outside the Legislature in Victoria Tuesday, when pipeline demonstrators blocked employees and journalists from entering the building, pushing, swearing and shouting.
He said the incident was “unacceptable” and he was surprised the protest took an aggressive turn, and apologized to all the Legislature staff. He said he doesn’t want to live in a world where politicians force police to arrest demonstrators, adding that it was up to the courts to decide and issue injunctions.
On Wednesday, Victoria Police said four people had reported assaults during Tuesday’s events at the Legislature. Three of the individuals received non-life threatening injuries, while the fourth reported no physical injuries but damaged equipment.
Police are asking anyone with information about these incidents to contact investigators at 250-995-7654.
A hundred people are holding the Granville Bridge. #shutdowncanada #wetsuwetenstrong #alleyesonwetauweten #reconciliationisdead #whichsideareyouon pic.twitter.com/LQhjX1SbFV
On Tuesday afternoon, the protesters in Vancouver had formed a circle at Broadway and Cambie, blocking traffic during the evening commute. They moved from the area shortly before 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.
VPD Const. Tania Visintin said police will continue to monitor the protesters, as they march downtown, and update the public about traffic disruptions on the VPD’s social media sites.
Coastal GasLink is building a 670-kilometre pipeline from the Dawson Creek area in northern B.C. at an estimated cost of $6.6 billion. The project has the support of 20 elected band councils along the route. All of them have signed benefit agreements with Coastal GasLink.
The protests, which have been sprouting up across the country, are in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs who are fighting to stop construction of the pipeline project.
Protesters gather outside the B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver, Wednesday, February, 12, 2020. The protesters are standing in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en members opposed to the LNG pipeline in northern British Columbia.
Supporters are calling on the company, the B.C. government, and the federal government to stop RCMP raids against Indigenous “land defenders.”
On Monday, Vancouver police arrested 43 people for blocking access to the Port of Vancouver, in defiance of an injunction. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority asked for the injunction so port operations could resume in Vancouver and Delta.
All 43 people were released with conditions to abide by the injunction.
Delta police said 14 people were arrested on the Deltaport Way causeway Monday.
With files from Canadian Press