Hundreds of people blocked traffic in downtown Victoria Tuesday to stand in solidarity with UnistB次元官网网址檕tB次元官网网址檈n and GitdumtB次元官网网址檈n First Nations during an international Day of Action.

Crowd in Victoria, B.C. chants in unison that they stand with Unist'ot'en and Gidimt'en during Day of Action for Unist'ot'en and Gidimt'en.

B次元官网网址� Keri Coles (@KeriColesPhotog)

The protest, one of more than 55 planned nationally and internationally, comes after RCMP descended on WetB次元官网网址檚uwetB次元官网网址檈n traditional lands to enforce an interim injunction granted in December by a B.C. Supreme Court judge. The court injunction was to remove two First Nations camps that have been blocking access to a LNG construction site in northwestern B.C. for several weeks.

The RCMP officers arrested 14 people Monday night at the GitdumtB次元官网网址檈n camp on Morice West Forest Service Road, including one elder B次元官网网址� who was released B次元官网网址� Gitdumden spokesperson Molly Wickham and 13 supporters who appear in court in Prince George today.

The rally began at the B.C. legislature, where the crowd took over the front steps chanting B次元官网网址淲e stand with UnistB次元官网网址檕tB次元官网网址檈n.B次元官网网址� Sonia Furstenau, MLA for Cowichan Valley, and Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands, both spoke in support of the rally, condemning the arrests.

The crowd then took to the streets and walked up to the office of Carole James, MLA for the Victoria-Beacon Hill, where they stopped for speeches and song.

In a release from organizers, they say the rally is to denounce state violence on unceded territory.

Rally takes over the streets in Victoria, B.C. today for the Day of Action for Unist'ot'en and Gidimt'en.

B次元官网网址� Keri Coles (@KeriColesPhotog)

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In a statement sent out after the rally, MP for Victoria Murray Rankin expressed serious concerns regarding the WetB次元官网网址檚uwetB次元官网网址檚en blockade.

B次元官网网址淭he federal NDP is calling on Prime Minister Trudeau to engage immediately with the WetB次元官网网址檚uwetB次元官网网址檚en and demonstrate his commitment to real and meaningful reconciliation,B次元官网网址� said Rankin. B次元官网网址淚f Prime Minister Trudeau is serious about his commitments to Indigenous Peoples, he needs to help facilitate a peaceful resolution that respects the rights of the WetB次元官网网址檚uwetB次元官网网址檈n First Nation.B次元官网网址�

TransCanada, the builders of the Coastal GasLink pipeline, announced in September that all 20 First Nations groups along the length of the pipeline route have now signed a project agreement; however, a news release issued Sunday on behalf of Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs says all five WetB次元官网网址檚uwetB次元官网网址檈n clans, including the GidimtB次元官网网址檈n, oppose the construction of oil and gas pipelines in their territory.

B次元官网网址淭he WetB次元官网网址檚uwetB次元官网网址檈n 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 WetB次元官网网址檚uwetB次元官网网址檈n and the land defenders holding the front lines will never allow WetB次元官网网址檚uwetB次元官网网址檈n sovereignty to be violated,B次元官网网址� states a release from the WetB次元官网网址檚uwetB次元官网网址檈n Access Point on Gitdumden territory.

Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen has called on the federal government to demonstrate its commitment to reconciliation by engaging with the WetB次元官网网址檚uwetB次元官网网址檈n hereditary chiefs.

Pretty sure Unist'ot'en and Gidimt'en in could probably hear the crowd in Victoria, B.C. today during the Day of Action for Unist'ot'en and Gidimt'en.

B次元官网网址� Keri Coles (@KeriColesPhotog)

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