Activists rally in Hamilton following arrests of pipeline opponents, journalists in Wet’suwet’en territory
A rally in solidarity with pipeline opponents in northern B.C. was staged in downtown Hamilton Sunday.
The proposed Coastal GasLink pipeline route passes through the traditional lands of several First Nations, including the Wet'suwet'en and Gitxsan.
We echo the Wet'suwet'en demand that Anuk nu'at'en (Wet'suwet'en Law) be respected, and that CGL construction activity immediately stop on unceded Wet'suwet'en lands," reads an email from organization Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion (HCCI) on behalf of community organizers.
The event took place outside of 55 Bay. St. N. - a federal government building - starting at noon.
Reports of more than a dozen arrests at camps near Gidimt'en checkpoint on Thursday have given rise to a wave of protests across the country, including in the Hamilton area.
Erected by the Gidimt'en clan of the Wet'suwet'en people, the checkpoint was established to bar access to the pipeline company. Those arrests included land defence group 1492 Land Back Lane's spokesperson Skyler Williams and musician Logan Staats and his sister, Layla Staats, who have since been released. Two journalists were also reportedly arrested.
On Saturday, community members organized a rolling blockade from Guelph to Brantford in support of B.C. land defenders.
Ontario 511 traffic alerts tweeted early Sunday that all lanes of the Highway 6 Caledonia bypass remain closed. The highway was blocked late Thursday as a demonstration of solidarity.
The highway will reopen when the blockade is no longer in place and the roadway is deemed safe for vehicular traffic," said Haldimand OPP spokesperson Const. Mary Gagliardi in an email.
Photos and video of a fire on a rail line allegedly running through Six Nations circulated on social media over the weekend.
Gagliardi said police are aware of a fire occurring on a rail line near Caledonia." The incident is being investigated by provincial police, as well as CN police and Six Nations police.
It is unclear whether the rail line is operational.
Kate McCullough is a Hamilton-based reporter covering education at The Spectator. Reach her via email: kmccullough@thespec.com