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Protest at Prince George courthouse shows solidarity for Unist'ot'en camp

The camp and associated blockade are protesting a pipeline through what they say is unceded Wet'suwet'en territory

More than 30 people gathered outside the Prince George courthouse Thursday morning (Dec. 13) with signs and drums.

The group showed up to support the leaders of the Unist'ot'en camp — Freda Huson and Warner Naziel — who were inside the building to receive notice of legal action being laid against them.

Coastal GasLink Pipeline Ltd. has applied for an injunction, and is also in the process of filing a civil lawsuit claiming financial damages from the camp leaders for “occupying, obstructing, blocking, physically impeding or delaying access” to the planned site. The camp is located south of Houston, approximately 60 kilometres down a forest service road, halfway between Prince George and Prince Rupert. Representatives for the camp say it's located on the unceded territory of the Wet'suwet'en people.

The Calgary-based company, a subsidiary of the TransCanada Corporation, says the camp's blockade prevents access to the Morice River Bridge, crucial for the pipeline to pass through as part of a larger liquified natural gas project. The pipeline is part of a larger overall project worth $40 billion, and includes the LNG plant in Kitimat. 

Now, the company says in a statement that "this step has become a last resort and a necessary action in our efforts to safely gain access to the area." Previous attempts by the company to gain access to the site have been unsuccessful. The below video, taken by the Unist'ot'en camp, shows one such attempt.

Camp supporter and Nadleh Whut'en band member Monica Buchanan tells PrinceGeorgeMatters the camp will continue to fight the pipeline.

"Canada agreed to stop taking and now it is forcing itself on these people. Canada needs to know that people aren't going to take it anymore," she says.

In a Nov. 26 media release, CoastalGas says "we will continue to keep the lines of communications open to work towards a mutually beneficial outcome. At this point in time, we must focus our attention on taking the necessary legal steps in our application for an injunction order through the legal system."

Documents pertaining to the case can be seen here.

— Jordan Tucker is a freelancer writer for PrinceGeorgeMatters