"I want our youth to be able to feel safe again. I want to be able to feel safe again," says A7G spokeperson Dani Lanouette.

Ottawa's Assembly of Seven Generations (A7G) Indigenous youth group says its members have been receiving death threats ever since showing support for British Columbia's Wet'suwet'en First Nation.

A rally, which shut down streets in downtown Ottawa on Monday, was held in support of a movement to prevent a pipeline from being built on Wet'suwet'en land.

Since then, A7G spokeperson Dani Lanouette says her group has filed two official complaints to the Ottawa Police Service (OPS).

Tomorrow, @A7G_Official, will be forced to change locations of our weekly drop-in due to death threats and “ordinary people” saying they will use guns on Indigenous peoples.



Laws must change to protect vulnerable people instead of protecting the most privileged. — Gabrielle V Fayant (@GabrielleFayant) February 27, 2020

The OPS says it was informed of the local threats Thursday night, but says the threats do not qualify as hate crimes, as they were directed toward a climate activist encampment. Police have, however, launched a general investigation into the matter.

"I want our youth to be able to feel safe again. I want to be able to feel safe again," says Lanouette. "I think all of these threats need to be taken incredibly seriously, especially [the ones] against our young people, because they shouldn't have to walk this territory in fear."

Lanouette adds that she has been threatened and harassed in her neighborhood just for being visibly Anishinaabe.

Despite hate and racism, we will still gather tonight to celebrate our two year anniversary of creating a safe space for Indigenous youth. https://t.co/lrfazwor8s — A7G (@A7G_Official) February 28, 2020

Politicians have since responded to word of the local threats.

The young people behind @A7G_Official are focused on cultural support and empowerment. They deserve our love and respect and I stand with them.

We all need to call out these threats and the racist views and partisan attacks that open the door to them. https://t.co/GZhdjcgSiB — Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) February 28, 2020

The threats of violence aimed at Indigenous youth, forcing them to relocate their weekly A7G gathering is distressing. Racism against Indigenous peoples cannot be tolerated. #Wetsuweten https://t.co/S52jnYMd9t — Catherine McKenney (@cmckenney) February 28, 2020