Solidarity Statement from Professors and Scholars in Support of the Wet’suwet’en people
****UPDATE: This solidarity statement was originally sent around and signed in February 2019. But in February 2020 it started circulating again and is gaining many more new signatories in response to the RCMP raid on Wet’suwet’en territory which has happened in the past weeks. Hundreds more academics are signing daily.****
Using an ever-changing set of rules, RCMP in British Columbia arrested 11 opponents of the Coastal GasLink pipeline Saturday, the third day of raids on Wet’suwet’en Nation territory.
RCMP also continued to obstruct journalists on the remote forest road in northern B.C. where the conflict is playing out, drawing international criticism. A spokesperson for one of the nation’s five clans, Molly Wickham of Gidimt’en, said the police broke a promise not to make more arrests until after a meeting with the nation’s hereditary chiefs.
“How many more signs do we need? By watching these, people will understand now is the time.”
That’s Jonathan Mintram. He is the executive producer of a series of video shorts about the climate emergency being released by Extinction Rebellion and Amazon Watch in collaboration with Mobilize Earth. The first is out today.
The 12 videos are public service announcements, but with a difference. A big difference, you might say, considering the first one “stars” Oscar favourite Joaquin Phoenix.
Under cover of darkness early Thursday, the RCMP began raiding Wet’suwet’en land defender camps in northeastern B.C. and arresting opponents of a planned natural gas pipeline.
