Thank you so much for signing the petition – we are now nearing 20,000 signatures!
TAKE MORE ACTION
The Wet’suwet’en have been under direct RCMP attack since Thursday Feb 6 (see summary of the last days’ events below) so please do the following to continue to support the nation and pressure the BC and Canadian governments:
- Join the Unist’ot’en newsletter and get important updates from the frontlines, on resistance actions happening all over the place and of ways you can support as the fight is far from over! Go to http://unistoten.camp/ and scroll down to “Sign up for our Newsletter” under the Updates on the right side of main page.
- Share the petition again in your networks and social media!
- Take more online actions such as call and email BC and federal politicians at https://indigenoussolidarityottawa.wordpress.com/2020/01/25/keep-up-the-pressure/
- Join an action somewhere in Canada or beyond! https://www.facebook.com/events/221856442184296/
- Organize fundraisers and/or donate to the new Unist’ot’en legal challenge fund: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/unistoten2020legalfund
To the new Gidemt’en fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/gidimt039en-strong
The the new Likhts’amisyu fund for criminalized land defenders: https://likhtsamisyu.com/2020/02/05/land-defenders-need-your-help-donate-now/
- To get all the latest updates from the frontlines, follow Unist’ot’en at facebook.com/unistoten/ and on Twitter @UnistotenCamp + on Instagram follow @skodenne and @smogelgem
And Gidimt’en Access Point at facebook.com/wetsuwetenstrong; on Twitter @Gidimten and on Instagram at @gidimten_checkpoint
SUMMARY OF LATEST EVENTS:
Summary of the RCMP attacks on the Wet’suwet’en since Feb 6:
- Thursday Feb 6: RCMP launched a morning raid on the first Wet’suwet’en camp at Kilometre 39. 6 were arrested. Footage can been seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrjiIgZu_K4
- Friday: Armed officers moved on to Gidimt'en Camp (Kilometre 44) and arrested 4 more land defenders. They also extended the exclusion zone. Video can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf9-p5nrvOo . The Canadian Association of Journalists spoke out against police interference with journalists and media on site.
- Saturday: RCMP arrested 11 more land defenders at Kilometre 27. Two helicopters brought officers to the Unist'ot'en healing centre around 11 a.m. Unist'ot'en chiefs and house members hold a cremation ceremony for Canadian/Indigenous reconciliation; RCMP leave after a half hour.
- Sunday: bulldozers and RCMP arrive at the bridge to Unist'ot'en as ceremony is taking place. THE BCCLA and UBCIC have updated their complaint against the RCMP: https://bccla.org/news/2020/02/press-release-bccla-and-ubcic-highly-alarmed-at-increasing-police-powers-in-wetsuweten-file-complaint-about-rcmp-exclusion-zone/
- Monday: the RCMP moved on the Unist’ot’en camp, and arrested 3 Unist’ot’en Matriarchs while they were holding ceremony to call on ancestors and to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two spirit people (MMIWG). The RCMP also arrested 4 land defenders, and took down the red dresses hung during ceremony to remember the spirits of MMIWG.
There has also been amazing organizing all over Canada and beyond: rallies, occupation of offices, and blockading of ports and trains in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en nation. See the upcoming ones here: https://www.facebook.com/events/221856442184296/
Thank you for taking action and sharing widely!
- Indigenous Solidarity Ottawa
Sources for the summary of latest events:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-wet039suwet039en-hereditary-chiefs
https://www.facebook.com/unistoten/photos/pcb.3485342848206602/3485341308206756/?type=3&theater