Demonstrators block Winnipeg street in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en land defenders

Source: Glenn Pismenny/CTV News

WINNIPEG -

A group of Winnipeggers blocked a major street in the city on Friday as a show of solidarity with Wet’suwet’en land defenders facing arrests in British Columbia.

The blockade took place on Portage Avenue in front of the RCMP headquarters.

The Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition organized the event after RCMP officers in British Columbia enforced an injunction stopping protestors from blocking access to the road used by Coastal GasLink pipeline workers.

“The Trudeau government and the Horgan government of British Columbia are supporting this pipeline against the will of the Hereditary Chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en nation,” said Clayton Thomas-Muller, a senior campaign specialist with 350.org.

“The title of that particular area of land sits and resides within the traditional clan houses, and the Indian Act chief and band councils only have title or power or control on the reserve boundaries. Anything outside of the reservations in that territory are under the control of the traditional clan houses.”

Thomas-Muller said the inconvenience caused by a delay in traffic is “insignificant” compared to what the Wet’suwet’en people are enduring, and what British Columbia citizens are going through with the flood crisis.

“That is a failure of this government’s policies on climate and on energy, and they’re trying to ram this pipeline through, which is going to make the climate crisis even worse and create even more violent, unpredictable weather-related events that are going to impact every Canadian from every background,” he said.

Thomas-Muller said the demonstrators in Winnipeg were not worried about anyone getting angry with them.

“We’re here in a non-violent way. We’re putting our bodies in front of business as usual to make a point,” he said.

“The point is that this government cannot continue to sacrifice certain communities at the altar of irresponsible economic policies just so that privileged shareholders living thousands of miles away from the land they’re destroying and profiting off of can benefit.”

In a statement, the Manitoba RCMP said it, “respects and protects the right of all Canadians to peacefully demonstrate as guaranteed under The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”

According to Winnipeg police, traffic in the area was disrupted for approximately one hour.

- With files from CTV's Glenn Pismenny.