| It was all over social media and the news: a pre-dawn raid, organized and committed by RCMP officers, into the Indigenous camps set up to protect and defend the territory of the Wet’suwet’en. Since January 2019, the Indigenous people, their homelands and waterways have been under threat by the encroachment of Coastal GasLink (CGL), which plans to connect fracking operations in Northern B.C. with a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility in the town of Kitimat. In response to the threat, four Indigenous groups set up camps there, and on February 6, 2020 at 4:30 a.m., heavily militarized RCMP invaded the camp with dogs and assault rifles. Six land defenders were arrested in the raid as people were forcibly removed. For Indigenous peoples, this event felt traumatically familiar, as pre-dawn raids have been a tool utilized under colonialism for over 500 years in our country’s history of genocide and forced land displacement strategies. Yet, in reaction to this violence, a strong sense of allyship developed amidst the crisis and chaos. Earlier this year, hundreds of supporters stood by the people of Wet’suwet’en. There were mass protests, including railroad blockades, and awareness marches in cities across the country. National and international media coverage highlighted the severity of the crisis and contextualized it within the bigger battle against colonialism. Allies and defenders fought in unity to protect the lands and waterways for future generations, and ultimately the RCMP vowed to leave the area. Then COVID-19 hit and, understandably, the public’s attention was diverted. But the conflict in Wet’suwet’en is still ongoing and despite their claim the RCMP has still been present. Here's what's currently happening on Wet’suwet’en Territory now, and why we need to pay attention. |
