Royal Canadian Mounted officers arrested at least six people at a roadblock erected by Indigenous people to block construction

This article is more than 7 months old

This article is more than 7 months old

Canadian police have made a series of arrests in northern British Columbia as they enforced a court injunction to remove activists who have been blocking the construction of a controversial natural gas pipeline on Indigenous territory.

Before dawn on Thursday, Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers backed by tactical teams and dogs arrested at least six people at a roadblock erected by the Wet’suwet’en people to stop construction of the C$6bn (US$4.5bn) Coastal GasLink pipeline (CGL).

Those detained are supporters of Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs, who have vigorously opposed the 670km (416 mile) pipeline through their territory.

Q&A Who are the Wet’suwet’en? Show Hide The Wet’suwet’en nation have lived on their territories in what is now British Columbia for thousands of years. They have never signed treaties or sold their land to Canada. With a population of about 5,000, the Wet’suwet’en are composed of five clans (Gilseyhu, Likhts’amisyu, Laksilyu, Tsayu and Gidimt’en), which are further divided into 13 house groups, each with its own distinct territories. The Unist’ot’en, the People of the Headwaters, belong to the Gilseyhu clan. Hereditary chiefs are responsible for the health and sustainability of their house group territories, and Wet’suwet’en law prohibits trespass on the territory of other the house groups. Wet’suwet’en people have retained their legal traditions and continue to govern themselves through the Bahtlats (feast hall), where decisions are ratified and clan business is conducted.

“It’s a whole damn army up there,” Wet’suwet’en hereditary chief Woos told CBC News as word of the arrests spread. “They’ve got guns on, they’ve got tactical gear on. They look like they’re ready for war.”

The raid reflects a breakdown in talks between the provincial government and hereditary chiefs, who hoped to reach a peaceful solution to the impasse. Activists now fear further clashes with police as the RCMP travels up the forest service road towards the next camp.

Officers arrested anyone who refused to leave the Gitimd’en checkpoint, and said access to the area would remain closed off until the order injunction is fully enforced. (An exception would be made for hereditary chiefs and elected council members, according to the RCMP.)

Journalists at the camp were also threatened with arrest and removed from the site.

“During the raid, police attempted to prevent me and other journalists photographing tactical officers,” tweeted photographer Jesse Winter, who said he and other reporters were left at a car-park 39km away from the camp.

Jesse Winter (@jwints) I just got out from #Gidimten clan territory on #Wetsuweten yintah, where RCMP conducted an aggressive, pre-dawn raid. Six land defenders arrested: pic.twitter.com/JkKempHUGM

Canada: 14 arrested at indigenous anti-pipeline protest camp as tensions rise Read more

“This is not the outcome we wanted. We have made exceptional efforts to resolve this blockade through engagement and dialogue,” Coastal GasLink’s president, David Pfeiffer, wrote in a letter posted to the company’s website.

Police previously raided the Gitimd’en checkpoint in January 2019, arresting 14 activists.

Documents from that raid uncovered by the Guardian suggested that officers were prepared to use lethal force against activists, prompting fierce debate over police tactics. The RCMP have denied they were prepared to shoot protesters.

Wet’suwet’en chiefs have pledged to only use peaceful protest as their way of opposing the pipeline.