The Hwy. 6 bypass in Caledonia was shut down over the weekend by Six Nations allies in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en Nation in British Columbia over a long-standing pipeline protest.
Skyler Williams, a spokesperson for Land Back Lane in Caledonia, said it was shut down in support of the Wet’suwet’en people after two people were arrested near a Coastal GasLink pipeline construction camp near Houston, B.C. Thursday.
“The Wet’suwet’en have put out a call for solidarity action,” Williams said in a social media post Thursday. The bypass was closed off between Greens Road and Argyle Street early last Thursday afternoon. “We are here to stand with them. We are witnessing genocide happen before our very eyes. Canada has built roads and railways and pipelines across our territories and poisoned our waters, killed wildlife, and we’re not going to let them use this colonial infrastructure to keep stealing our resources.”
He said Canada is using the RCMP to force Indigenous people from the land, after spending almost $20 million in the past two years to police a blockade on traditional Wet’suwet’en territory.
The Wet’suwet’en people have been protesting the development of a pipeline throughout their traditional territory in British Columbia.
“No more development without consent,” said Williams. “The days of forcing us from our territory is over.”
The RCMP said in a release that two protesters were arrested for alleged theft of Coastal GasLink equipment.
The bypass remained closed over the weekend before re-opening Monday morning.
