Thousands gathered at Queen’s Park Saturday in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en leaders with a simple message for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: It’s not over.

On Friday Trudeau called for an end to the rail blockades across the country brought on by nationwide demonstrations in support of Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs opposing the Coastal GasLink pipeline that would cross their traditional territory in northern British Columbia.

The chiefs have rejected that plea, continuing to demand the removal of an RCMP office and an end to patrols on their territory, as well as ceasing the construction of the pipeline during talks.

“We are once again in a fight for our lives,” said Eve Saint, daughter of a Wet’suwet’en hereditary chief, who was arrested by RCMP earlier this month after she and three others refused to leave a camp on Wet’suwet’en territory.

“We have to fight with everything we have to make change. We will not go silently. We will not lay down and dig our own graves and move out of the way. We are not going anywhere,” she told the crowd to cheers. “Justin Trudeau, we are not going anywhere ... Racist Canada we are not going anywhere. RCMP we are not going anywhere.”

After Saint’s speech the protesters marched down University Avenue from Queen’s Park to City Hall, singing and drumming. In Nathan Phillips Square, they joined hands in a round dance of five concentric circles.

Audrey Huntley, an activist and paralegal with Aboriginal Legal Services, said there would have been even more people at the rally if there weren’t protests also happening in Niagara Falls at the Ontario Progressive Conservative Convention. But, she said, she was heartened by the turnout, especially from non-Indigenous allies.

“It took a long time to get to this place,” she said. “Reconciliation on the official level has never been a real thing, in my view ... but I do believe there are good people who are out here today who do want reconciliation and are willing to make those sacrifices that may inconvenience them a little bit.”

The president of the American Indian Movement, Ginew Kwe, Golden Eagle Woman, also known as Suzanne Smoke, said the blockades would stop once the RCMP leaves Wet’suwet’en territory.

Trudeau needs to understand he is dealing with a nation, she said.

“This is our territory and we are going to protect it with everything we have,” she said.

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“I kind of laugh that in 12 days all these Canadians are crying about what they don’t have,” Smoke said. “We have suffered for 500 years.”

She condemned those who have made statements that could incite violence against the blockades.

“We are not the savages here. We are here in peace and prayer,” she said. “We are doing everything we can to get the government to hear us, to get Canadians to hear us.”

With files from Tonda MacCharles, Alex Ballingall and Raneem Alozzi

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