By Canadian Press

Bridges, buildings, railways, streets focus of anti-pipeline protests

Feb 11, 2020 | 12:26 PM

VICTORIA — Fourteen people arrested at pipeline protest sites are due in provincial court Monday in Smithers, B.C., a Wet’suwet’en Nation spokeswoman said as a movement opposing the pipeline continued across the country.

Jen Wickham said Sunday the 14 people were arrested and charged with breach of trust in recent days at various remote locations in northwest British Columbia near construction zones for the 670-kilometre Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline, which crosses traditional Wet’suwet’en territory.

“All of the 14 people have refused to sign their undertakings because they are following Wet’suwet’en law,” she said in a telephone interview from Houston, B.C. “They’ve all been charged with breach of the injunction.”

The RCMP said Saturday that officers enforcing a court injunction arrested 11 people who allegedly barricaded themselves in a warming centre in a forested area near a pipeline work site. The other arrests occurred Friday at another Indigenous camp near the pipeline route.

Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs oppose the pipeline crossing their territory and efforts by the B.C. government to negotiate an agreement to end the protests have failed.

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Premier John Horgan said the pipeline, which is part of the massive $40 billion LNG Canada liquefied natural gas export terminal project, is of vital economic and social importance to the province’s north and already has the approval of 20 elected First Nations councils along the route from Dawson Creek to Kitimat.

He said the courts have decided the pipeline can proceed and the rule of law must prevail.

The arrests and the continued presence of the RCMP in the Smithers area have prompted solidarity protests across Canada, including gatherings at Vancouver city hall, the B.C. legislature and disruptions at ports, bridges, railways and streets.

Wet’suwet’en supporters have set up picket lines at Vancouver’s port and the nearby container port at Delta. Supporters blocked access to Victoria’s downtown Johnson Street bridge Saturday and dozens of Indigenous youth have set up a camp on the front steps of the B.C. legislature.

Rail traffic near Toronto has also been disrupted by Wet’suwet’en supporters.

Vancouver Wet’suwet’en protest organizer Natalie Knight said dozens of people have set up picket lines at Vancouver’s port and others were at the Delta container port. She said the protests are in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en chiefs, but are also a message to the government and business community.

“We recognize the importance of disrupting capital, disrupting money and goods that come out of the city of Vancouver, that are coming from up north or going up north or that are being sent around the world,” said Knight. “This sends a very clear message to business and the government that we are not going to allow business to continue as usual.”

A spokeswoman for the port of Vancouver said in a statement the continued protests hurt the port.

“This disruption is having a significant impact on port operations and we are taking the situation very seriously,” said spokeswoman Danielle Jang. “We respect the rights of others to peacefully demonstrate and express opinions, and hope to come to a resolution soon.”

Delta Police said they are monitoring the situation at the container port.

At the B.C. legislature, Wet’suwet’en supporter Kolin Sutherland-Wilson said people intend to camp on the steps for while the RCMP stays in Wet’suwet’en territory.

“We’re here as long as the (RCMP) raid is happening,”  he said.

The supporters at the legislature have lit a ceremonial fire in a steel pit on the front steps and are sleeping at the entrance reserved for dignitaries, including the lieutenant governor. B.C.’s legislature is set to resume sitting Tuesday.

Sutherland-Wilson said the fire is for sacred purposes and is being monitored for safety.

“If all this granite catches on fire, I’ll be awfully surprised,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 9, 2020.

Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press