International community turns its attention to the Wet’suwet’en land defence struggle

On November 14, Michael Toledano tweeted: “Early today, the Cas Yikh ppl of the Wet’suwet’en @Gidimten clan enforced a long standing eviction of Coastal Gaslink. Workers were given 8 hours to leave, or the main road will be closed permanently. The eviction was sent by Chief Woos, then read over road radio channels.”

Toledano adds: “Workers have about 6 hours to leave. A handful have headed out. The eviction order warned that if RCMP are called to the scene, the road will be shut immediately.”

This is the evacuation order issued today.

When the eviction order was first posted on January 4, 2020, the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs stated: “We expect Coastal GasLink to peacefully comply with our eviction notice, and ask that British Columbia uphold its commitment to implement UNDRIP and instruct RCMP to respect our rights and refrain from interference in Wet’suwet’en law.”

That CGL fracked gas pipeline, being built on Wet’suwet’en lands without their free, prior and informed consent, has been backed by two highly militarized RCMP raids. The first was on January 8, 2019, when 14 land defenders were arrested. And the second on February 6, 2020, in which another 22 land defenders were arrested.

After the first RCMP raid in 2019, The Guardian reported, “Canadian police were prepared to shoot Indigenous land defenders blockading construction of a natural gas pipeline…” Significantly, that article highlighted: “The RCMP commanders also instructed officers to ‘use as much violence toward the gate as you want’…”

The Gidimt’en Checkpoint is asking for people to come to camp. That call was made again in this video after the notice of the eviction was issued to Coastal GasLink. The application form to go is on the Gidimt’en Yintah Access website here.

Activists from World Beyond War and Christian Peacemaker Teams along with others have spent the last two weeks on Gidimt’en territory. Peace Brigades International-Canada will also be present starting next week.

Video report from Rachel Small, World Beyond War Canada. Please also see this report from Esther Townshend, Turtle Island Solidarity Network, CPT.