Over 50 rallies today supporting Wet'suwet'en
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RALLIES PLANNED INTERNATIONALLY IN SUPPORT OF WET’SUWET’EN AND DENOUNCE STATE VIOLENCE ON UNCEDED TERRITORY
January 8, 2019 – Yesterday in Canada militarized police (RCMP) descended onto unceded Wet’suwet’en to enforce a
colonial court injunction. Fourteen people were arrested including Gitdumden spokesperson Molly Wickham. One elder was
released and 13 land defenders and supporters will be appearing in court in Prince George today.
Rallies in 55 cities across Canada and internationally will be taking place today Tuesday January 8, 2019 to express
solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en defending their unceded lands from unwanted fracked gas development.
Rallies across Canada are being held in Bella Bella, Calgary, Chilliwack, Campbell River, Cortes Island, Courtenay,
Duncan, Edmonton, Galiano Island, Guelph, Haida Gwaii, Halifax, Hamilton, Hazelton, Lillooet, Kitchener Waterloo,
London, Mayne Island, Mi'kma'ki, Montreal, Nanaimo, Nelson, North Bay, North Okanagan, Old Massett, Ottawa,
Peterborough, Powell River, Prince George, Regina, Rexton, Saskatoon, Sechelt, Sherbrooke, Six Nations, Smithers,
Splatsin, Sudbury, Terrace, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Winnipeg, White Horse, and Yellowknife.
Rallies will take place internationally in Atlanta, Bellingham, Flagstaff, Milan, Minnesota, New York City, O'Odham
Territory, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington.
Details for the rallies can be found
https://www.facebook.com/events/2225649537692362/ and on Tuesday January 8, 2019 photos and video will be available through #wetsuwetenstrong #notrespass #thetimeisnow.
According to the Wet'suwet'en Access Point on Gitdumden territory, who issued the call for international solidarity,
“All Wet'suwet'en Clans have rejected the Coastal GasLink fracked gas pipeline because this is our home. Our medicines,
our berries, our food, the animals, our water, our culture are all here since time immemorial. We are obligated to
protect our ways of life for our babies unborn.”
“Canada knows that its own actions are illegal,” further states the Wet'suwet'en Access Point on Gitdumden territory.
“The Wet’suwet’en chiefs have maintained their use and occupancy of their lands and hereditary governance system to this
date despite generations of legislative policies that aim to remove us from this land, assimilate our people, and ban
our governing system. The hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en and the land defenders holding the front lines will
never allow Wet’suwet’en sovereignty to be violated.”
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