Crowd marches through downtown Kitchener in support of Wet’suwet’en
Posted Feb 18, 2020 10:36:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
What started as a small group with signs grew to be dozens of people, all of whom marched through Kitchener's downtown core in solidarity with the hereditary chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation.
Demonstrators made their way from Kitchener City Hall down King Street, briefly blocking off the intersection of King and Queen, then Market Square.
There was a mixed reaction those sitting in their cars, with some yelling out their windows, and one woman even joining into one of the blockades.
Eventually, protesters made their way to both NDP MPP Laura Mae Lindo's office and Liberal MP Raj Saini's office.
One of the organizers is Amy Smoke of the Mohawk Nation Turtle Clan, Six Nations Grand River.
“We're standing with the Wet'suwet'en people, they have absolutely every right to do what they need to do on their own lands, and govern themselves according to their own law,” said Smoke. “Canada is breaking three laws: Its own, Wet'suwet'en, and international law. I think that the more Canadians are aware of that, the more they won't want Canada doing that in their name.”
Responding to criticisms of protesters blocking rail lines, she noted that Canada wouldn't have rail lines in the first place if Indigenous people weren't pushed aside.
“We have seen them run through our communities to benefit all of settler Canada,” said Smoke. “It's ironic that we're taking the rails now, as a show of what Indigenous people have done in the past, what we're still here doing, and what we fully believe in that should be ours to govern and follow our own laws.”
One protester tweeted a picture of MP Saini's office, which appeared closed for the day for an out-of-office meeting.
MPP Lindo's office, however, was open.
“I stand in solidarity with the folks that gathered in front of Kitchener City Hall and came by my office, I really wish I could have been there to greet them,” said Lindo in an interview.
Lindo said she was at Queen's Park for the first day of resuming sitting at the Legislature, and for a separate protest happening there.
She noted that, while this is largely seen as a federal issue, it's actually all levels of government that will have to commit to reconciliation.
“This is a situation that is literally individuals saying that we need to be on a real path towards reconciliation,” said Lindo. “If we're on a real path towards reconciliation, that means we have to have some pretty difficult conversations. Those conversations are going to be really hard for us as elected members. We have to recognize that the system we're part of has hurt Indigenous, First Nations folks for centuries.”
She added that part of her job is to make herself available for those difficult conversations to happen.
For now, it seems as though protests will continue locally and nation-wide.
“I don't even like calling it protesting, we are bringing awareness,” said Amy Smoke. “None of us have the luxury, as some people thing, to do this all day long. We have kids. We have families. In the end, that's what we're fighting for, is the kids and those families, and the continuance of our natural laws and the way we connect to the land. I think that's so important, we're going to keep the pressure on, and I think others should too.”
For the latest on protests across Canada as of February 18, click here.
MP Raj Saini did not respond to a request for comment at the original time of publication, but later issued the following statement:
“I applaud anyone who peacefully stands up for what they believe in, as I respect and appreciate the right to freedom of expression.
I take very seriously my duty to listen to and respond to community members, even when my duties as Member of Parliament take me outside of my constituency office to Ottawa.
I am always happy to meet with constituents to discuss important issues when I am in the riding.”
