Collingwood residents will be making a public stand in support of Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs this weekend.
A local protest has been planned for this Sunday in Collingwood in solidarity with those who have been arrested by RCMP in BC where construction of a multi-billion dollar gas pipeline is underway.
Organizers Kyle Stark and Nick Clayton plan for the group to meet in front of the Royal Bank at noon Sunday, Dec. 12, and from there occupy (but not obstruct) street corners and crosswalks.
RCMP have arrested protesters who were blocking construction of the pipeline and others, including journalists, and Indigenous elders who were at the camp near the Morice River. The pipeline is supposed to run under the river.
The 670-km pipeline construction route was approved by the province and 20 elected First Nation councils, including Wet’suwet’ten. However, the consultation did not include Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs, who say they have full jurisdiction over Wet’suwet’en land, and must be asked for consent before work is done.
You can learn more on the history of the hereditary chiefs’ claims here.
A group set up a camp called Gidimt’en Checkpoint on the Morice Forest Service Road, controlling access to the road to prevent drilling under the Wedzin Kwa (Morice River).
“What is happening to the Wet’suwet’en at the hands of Canada’s RCMP is not new,” said Stark. “Indigenous peoples being removed from their traditional territories at gunpoint, having their homes burnt down, being jailed and criminalized simply for existing where they’ve always existed has been going on as long as the RCMP have existed. It needs to stop.”
In addition to the Collingwood solidarity action on Sunday, Stark has planned a fundraiser to support the Gidimt’en Checkpoint.
He and his wife have given a 1973 Ford SuperVan worth $10,000 to Indigenous singer/songwriter Logan Staats. Stark hopes to match the worth of the van in cash donations to the checkpoint. He has set up a Go Fund Me account to collect donations.
Anyone can join the solidarity action this weekend.
You can find more information on the Collingwood event on the Facebook page here.
