The Wet’suwet’en Nation’s fight against the Coastal GasLink pipeline project moved to Montreal on Thursday, where dozens of protesters gathered outside the headquarters of the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC ).
Posted at 5:05 p.m.
The latter are against RBC’s participation in the gas pipeline project which will cross the ancestral territory of the Wet’suwet’en, in northern British Columbia.
In an off-the-cuff press, Hereditary Chief Na’moks of the Wet’suwet’en Nation once again demanded respect for the rights of his people on his territory.
Photo Catherine Lefebvre, special collaboration
The demonstration took place in front of the head office of the Royal Bank of Canada.
Also present at the rally, Innu activist and well-known media figure in Quebec, Melissa Mollen Dupuis, said she hoped that this mobilization would rekindle the interest of the population in this issue which is currently unfolding in British Columbia.
“We must not forget that in 2020, with COVID putting a stop to everything, the mobilization of the Wet’suwet’en was everywhere in the media (Editor’s note: The rail blockades at the time were organized in support to the First Nation), but that does not mean that the problem has ceased with COVID, on the contrary, it is still there, ”she explained.
The demonstration in Montreal is, according to her, a reminder to institutions like the RBC that the projects they choose to finance have a real impact on the respect of human rights. The activist is also sorry to see the Canadian government “wanting to make reconciliation” on the one hand while ignoring this issue.
The demonstration took place in a calm atmosphere at the end of the afternoon, under the surveillance of officers from the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal.
It comes at a pivotal moment in the Nation’s fight against Coastal GasLink, as the United Nations (UN) recently condemned for a third the continuation of work without the agreement of the First Nation and the escalation of the crackdown. policewoman.
In a letter dated April 29, the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) of the United Nations High Commissioner also criticizes the attitude of the Canadian government in the management of the conflict.
Specifically, the Committee calls for “the withdrawal of Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers […] traditional territory” of the Wet’suwet’en and also calls for an investigation into RCMP practices, including excessive use of force.