Canada: Wet’suwet’en leaders warn of surveillance & heavy police presence to facilitate Coastal GasLink drilling under river; incl. co. comment
"Wet’suwet’en puts allies on notice against ‘24/7 campaign of surveillance and terror’ as Coastal GasLink readies to drill," 22 Sept 2022
As Coastal GasLink prepares to drill under the Wedzin Kwa (Morice River), Wet’suwet’en hereditary leadership and their allies are saying the fight is reaching a flashpoint — and supporters across the country are on notice.
... The Gidimt’en Checkpoint has released a flurry of statements in recent days, noting the drilling is about to commence and alleging police violence. One statement put out over the weekend said Wet’suwet’en resistance to the pipeline’s construction has delayed it significantly, but intense police pressure to facilitate that construction continues.
... RCMP did not return a request for comment.
... The statement from Gidimt’en Checkpoint said: “We will not let the RCMP and C-IRG, B.C., Coastal GasLink, and Forsythe go unchallenged in their attempts to clear the lands for this pipeline project and their capitalist, colonial extraction. Every day, the government, industry, and police are invading our yintah.” Forsythe is Coastal GasLink’s hired private security.
... TC Energy told Canada’s National Observer it has safely completed “eight out of 10 major watercourse crossings” to date and that the “safety and security of our people, Indigenous and local communities, the public and the protection of the environment remain our primary focuses.”