Indigenous Land Defenders to Appear in Court Next Week to Attempt to Have Criminal Contempt Charges Stayed

A group of twelve Indigenous land defenders arrested at a blockade in 2021 say the charges against them should be stayed.

Each were among 27 arrested while opposing the Coastal GasLink pipeline on Wet’suwet’en territory in November of that year.

Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs had issued CGL an eviction order before setting up a pair of blockades along the Morice Forest Service Road.

RCMP responded with a two-day injunction enforcement, during which the arrests were made.

Last summer, the Prosecution Service decided to pursue criminal contempt charges against 19 of the land defenders.

But the land defenders say the charges against them should be dropped, due to poor police conduct and a disregard for Indigenous rights.

They say that they were refused water and food while in custody as police made racist remarks and removed their cultural regalia.

An application to stay the charges will appear before courts on March 8th.