Anti-pipeline protestors removed from BC legislature, five arrested

These protestors were demanding that the Canadian government put a stop to the Coastal GasLink pipeline, which passes through traditional Wet’suwet’en land.

Despite the Canadian government having achieved consent from the elected Wet’suwet’en chiefs, the hereditary chiefs did not approve the pipeline—which continued to matter despite these hereditary chiefs being unelected and unaccountable.

Victoria police moved in on Wednesday night to clear the protestors at around 9:00 pm. Five individuals were arrested and face charges of mischief.

The police went on to say that it took several hours to clear the crowd, due to the size of the gathering.

Over the course of the #ShutDownCanada protests, the BC legislature was at the epicentre of significant civil disobedience. Journalists and politicians, for instance, were blocked from entering the building by the anti-pipeline activists.

These protests across Canada have left the country paralyzed, as Via Rail trains stopped by blockages on Ontario railways have left the company and passengers in difficult situations. Initially, interruptions were only between Montreal and Ottawa, as well as trains in both directions.