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Roadblock update

Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs arrive in Kahnawake, Que.

Feb 22, 2020 | 11:46 AM

KAHNAWAKE, Que. – Traditional chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en First
Nation have arrived in Kahnawake, Que., as they continue their tour
of Mohawk communities in eastern Canada where rail blockades in
solidarity with their cause have been erected.

Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs oppose the Coastal GasLink project
that would carry natural gas to the B.C. coast, though others in the
community support the pipeline.

Countrywide protests and blockades followed a move by RCMP to
enforce a court injunction this month against the hereditary chiefs
and their supporters, who had been obstructing an access road to a
Coastal GasLink work site.

Their Quebec visit comes one day after the Wet’suwet’en
hereditary chiefs visited supporters at Tyendinaga Mohawk territory
to thank them.

One of the hereditary chiefs said Friday his people are willing
to engage in nation-to-nation talks with the B.C. and federal
governments, but not until the RCMP in B.C. have left traditional
Wet’suwet’en territory entirely and Coastal GasLink, the pipeline
company, ceases work in the area.

The comments came after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emerged
from meetings with senior cabinet ministers on Friday saying that
barricades on rail lines and other major transportation routes must
come down after two weeks of calls for patience and stalled attempts
at negotiation.

(The Canadian Press)