March in Caledonia to support Wet'suwet'en land defenders

KITCHENER -

A rally was held in Caledonia Monday morning in support of Wet'suwet'en land defenders in British Columbia.

About 50 people gathered near Argyle Street South and Haddington Street, causing some traffic delays in the area.

Organizers say the walk was a show of solidarity with the men and women on Wet'suwet'en territory who have been recently been arrested.

Hereditary chiefs are fighting against the construction of a pipeline through their territory.

RCMP arrested 15 people on Friday, including two journalists, following protests that blocked access to a road used by workers of Coastal GasLink pipeline.

The Land Back Lane group in Caledonia calls those arrests an abuse of process for the RCMP.

"When we talk about all the truth and reconciliation calls to action, this is what we are talking about," said Skyler Williams with 1492 Land Back Lane. "This was what nation-to-nation looks like. So for our people, to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Wet'suwet'en people to defend their lands, we wouldn't have been able to make it this past year, year-and-a-half at Land Back Lane without the love and solidarity that we've gotten across the country."

The national gas company has signed agreement with all 20 elected band councils to build the pipeline, but Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs argue that band councils only have authority over reserve land.

-- With reporting by Heather Senoran and CTV News Toronto