RBC finances the Coastal GasLink pipeline. On the night of Tuesday October 26, anarchists in Montreal coordinated some actions in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en land defenders. We smashed the windows at 5 RBC branches across the city, and used a fire-extinguisher filled with paint to vandalize the facade of another.
In the lead up to the Olympics on stolen Native land in 2010, rebels across so-called Canada attacked the sponsor RBC. Over a decade later, it is time to recreate this inspiring wave.
If RBC wants to fuck around, RBC is going to find out. The institutions, companies, and individuals responsible for ecocidal industry have names and addresses. RBC branches, ATMs, CEOs and board members are no exception.
It’s easy: a well-masked crew or individual emerges from an alley, takes a look around to make sure that the coast is clear, then dedicates under 30 seconds to throwing rocks through the windows before disappearing.
For more tips, read “A Recipe For Nocturnal Direct Actions”, “How to Fill Fire Extinguishers With Paint” and “How To Safely Post Communiques” at mtlcounterinfo.org/how-to
The Tails operating system was used to make this video, and to submit it.
In a video statement posted late Wednesday, Gidimt’en Checkpoint spokesperson Sleydo’ reported that Chief Dtsa’Hyl of the Likhts’amisyu and Kolin Sutherland-Wilson of the Gitxsan fireweed clan were arrested by RCMP forces, following growing tensions at the presence of Canadian authorities on Wet’suwet’en territory. Over the last few days, blockades against RCMP and Coastal Gaslink (CGL) personnel have been erected and machinery has been “decommissioned” and shut down.
Sleydo’ also stated that more law enforcement were on their way to make potentially further arrests, and support was urgently needed. “We need everybody to get your boots on the ground. Please come to camp. We need support for Likhts’amisyu. Support the Wet’suwet’en in the struggle that we’ve been on for ten years now. We need everybody to just shut shit down. Wherever you are, whatever you can do. If you can’t get here, you need to start making noise, start making a fuss. Get things going wherever you are.”
UPDATE 10/29/2021: Dtsa’Hyl and Kolin have been released.
Journalist Michael Toledano, who was been reporting on the ongoing struggle against the RCMP invasion and CGL resource extraction, reported earlier in the day:
After Coastal Gaslink pipeline workers used heavy machines to block Wet’suwet’en chiefs from their own land, Likhts’amisyu chief Dsta’hyl disabled the equipment – turning CGL’s blockade against them. The Likht’samisyu have now decommissioned 10 pieces of heavy equipment.
We’re more than a month into the 3rd wave of blockades against the Coastal Gaslink pipeline. Gidimten has blocked the site where CGL plans to drill beneath Wet’suwet’en headwaters since late September. Likhtsamisyu has used heavy equipment to control access to a man camp.
This is #LandBack. There’s no framing this in any Western #colonial lens because colonialism has no idea as to how LandBack can be implemented. They only know that if they relabel it within their own framework it might mean something else. We won’t let you do that.
Yesterday, Toledano reported that indigenous blockades had even shut down access to a “man-camp,” or encampment containing a high concentration of pipeline workers:
The Likhts’amisyu clan then posted:
After pushing through a Coastal Gaslink barricade of heavy machinery, Likhts’amisyu chiefs and supporters have occupied the far reaches of Wet’suwet’en territory. They are controlling vehicle traffic into a man camp. CGL equipment is blocking Wet’suwet’en from pushing further.
This blockade was put in place after Likhts’amisyu Chiefs and supporters were stopped from entering their own territory on Sunday, Oct 24th, 2021, and worked quickly to establish a camp on the road where they were stopped. Read more on Instagram (via anonymous proxy).
This blockade follows Dinï ze’ Woos officially opening a cabin at the Coyote Camp:
[O]n the drillpad site and invites the ancestors to come and stand with us. Before contact, hundreds of thousands of us were here. We coexisted with the animals and protected the Wedzin Kwa since time immemorial. We will always defend Wedzin Kwa River. Dinï ze’ Woos delivers a resolute message to CGL investors, “[CGL] said they were going to drill under this river…And that won’t happen. We’re not going to let that happen.”
Two weeks ago, scenes of Native land defenders pushing RCMP officers out of the territory to cries of, “You are on the land of Chief Woos!,” went viral, as mass wooden blockades were defended from ongoing police harassment and entrance into the territory.
The Montreal International Anarchist Theatre Festival (MIATF), the only festival in the world dedicated to anarchist theatre, is currently seeking plays, texts, monologues, dance-theatre, puppet shows, mime, in English and French, on the theme of anarchism or any subject pertaining to anarchism, i.e. against all forms of oppression including the State, capitalism, war, patriarchy, etc. We will also consider pieces exploring ecological, social and economic justice, racism, feminism, poverty, class and gender oppression from an anarchist perspective. We welcome work from anarchist and non-anarchist writers.
LIHT’SAMISYU TERRITORY – On October 17th, Lihkt’samisyu Chiefs Dsta’hyl and Tsebesa took action as Coastal Gaslink workers continued to trespass on Wet’suwet’en territory in violation of Wet’suwet’en laws and Canada’s own constitution. The Chiefs instructed Coastal Gaslink to remove all equipment from Lihkts’amisyu territory immediately, indicating that otherwise it would be decommissioned and seized by the Likht’samisyu Clan in accordance with its laws.
A video released by the YouTube channel Fireweed Solidarity shows Chief Dsta’hyl pulling up to a Coastal Gaslink worker who asks him, “What are you doing up on the road?” Chief Dsta’hyl replied, “This is our land. I’m allowed to be here, and you’re not. You guys are trespassing. I’m the Lihkt’samisyu security officer here as well as the enforcement officer. You guys are not allowed to be here. I gave you guys warning last year.”
The worker replied, “I know nothing about this” and Chief Dsta’hyl continued, “I gave all of you warning about this last year and I’ve got it all on video that you guys are not supposed to be here. I let everybody know that your equipment is going to be subject to seizure. We are going to decommission and seize your equipment. You can tell that to the head office and have them get in touch with me if you want.”
Coastal Gas Link has been damaging wetlands that flow to Parrot Lake, where the Lihkt’samisyu have reclaimed a traditional village site and established a community. The pipeline construction is the same one that the Wet’suwet’en people have been resisting for the last several years and which burst into national attention with the 2020 #shutdowncanada movement.
Chief Dsta’hyl seizing the CGL equipment on Oct. 17 2021.
Equipment seized by order of the Lihkt’samisyu Clan Government
Later the same day, Chiefs Dsta’hyl and Tsebesa went to the location where CGL’s excavators were located and decommissioned an excavator. According to video of the incident released on the Sovereign Likhts’amisyu Facebook page, when the Chiefs approached CGL workers, Chief Dsta’hyl said, “I am the Lihkts’amisyu Enforcement Officer. I am asking you guys to all, please, leave.”
Chief Tsebesa stated, “Obviously CGL has never gotten consent from any of our head Chiefs or anything so this is the way our Chiefs are dealing with it. Like I said to you before; our law, our way. That’s all.”
Chief Dsta’hyl then proceeded to affix vinyl stickers to the side of the machine, indicating that it had been seized “By order of the Lihkt’samisyu Clan Government.” The CGL workers stood by and recorded the scene on video cameras without interfering.
Standing on top of the machinery, Chief Dsta’hyl addressed the workers saying, “We have to report back to the Clan Government in order to enforce the law. You guys are trespassing and we want to make sure that you guys know that we mean business when we say that we’re going to seize equipment from you guys. We are going to seize this piece of equipment and once we seize it, it is property of Lihkts’amisyu Clan Government. We’ll give you a chance to get it back and we will have the Chief Justice Hanamuxw here of the Gitsxan Court that will be proceeding with the court case for you guys. So it’s up to you guys to prove that you are not trespassing on Wetsuwet’en land.”
Chief Dsta’hyl then proceeded to decommission one vehicle, and stated that, “it’s the beginning of many that are going to be decommissioned over the next few days there until CGL moves all of their equipment off of Lihkts’amisyu territory. So it’s going to be really important there that they adhere to our message because we are basically governed under Gitsxan/Wet’suwet’en Law. So now what happens is our government is going to be looking after our interests ourselves on all of the land, logging, mining, and everything else that is on our territory and this is just the beginning.”
The site of the seized CGL equipment on Oct. 17 2021.
In response to the call for a week of solidarity actions to defend Wedzin Kwa, about 75 people gathered in Kingston, Ontario on Thursday October 13 for a Wet’suwet’en solidarity rally and march with banners, music and chants. We met up in Skeleton Park and listened to a few different speeches – one person spoke about how indigenous land defenders are leading the way in the fight against climate change and ecological destruction. Another shared an excerpt from a zine critiquing state-led reconciliation efforts. One person gave a powerful speech about the necessity of clean water for indigenous communities and for everyone, and reminded us all that showing up and participating in this struggle was meaningful and important. We marched down Princess St and handed out hundreds of flyers to a largely supportive crowd.
The Wet’suwet’en fight to defend their unceded territory from colonial invasion and resource extraction has inspired us for a long time. We were also very inspired by the successive waves of Shut Down Canada solidarity actions that took place all across so-called Canada right up until spring of 2020, including here in the Kingston area. We are angry that Coastal GasLink and the RCMP continue their attempt to push through this destructive pipeline project – but we will say that it felt good to come together in solidarity once again, break through some of the lingering pandemic isolation, and recognize the commitment, energy and strength that exist in our community.
We hope this small contribution to the Week of Action sends hope and encouragement to the folks at Coyote Camp, members of the Gidimt’en clan and their allies, currently holding it down and blocking construction. We are watching, we are ready to act and we’ve got your back.
On October 9th 2021, as part of the Week of Action in solidarity with the Gidimt’en, some folks in Montreal shutdown trains and took the streets for a demo. This action forshadows that if Canada and the RCMP continue their aggression, they will likely be met once again with coordinated, nation-wide actions to #ShutDownCanada.
Comments Off on Rail Lines Blockaded in Solidarity with Gidimt’en Week of Action
Oct102021
Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info
More than 50 people blockaded five parallel rail lines outside a CN rail yard in Point Saint Charles, Montreal for more than an hour and a half this Saturday, October 9th. We were there to support the Wet’suwet’en fight to defend their territory against the Coastal GasLink pipeline. There were two banners, one saying “#AllOutForWedzinKwa 1312” and the other “All Out For Wet’suwet’en #ShutDownCanada”. Multiple trains were stopped and some rerouted, and some still seemed be sitting idle on the tracks for at least an hour after the blockade ended. Maybe because of a backlog, or an inspection of the tracks.
We decided to leave as a demo, walking down the tracks for a while then and switching to the streets of the surrounding neighbourhood, chanting slogans against colonization and the police, and in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en land defenders. Some groups of young people were clearly excited to see us, took flyers, and followed behind us for a while before we dispersed. We significantly outnumbered the police who showed up, and they kept their distance. There were no arrests.
We were responding to the calls for solidarity actions over the past two weeks from the Gidimt’en clan, with this action falling on the first day of their recently called Week of Action that will continue until October 15th: https://www.yintahaccess.com/news/calltoaction. We encourage others to take up the call and start organizing actions in your area! As in previous years, we expect this to be the first in a series of actions in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en land defenders as they brace for another RCMP invasion of their territory.
On September 25th, land defenders destroyed road access to Coastal GasLink’s drill site at the Wedzin Kwa river. A series of blockades were put in place, and the drill site was occupied. When hereditary chiefs arrived on the site, they were threated with arrest, and denied access to their territory. Since then, land defenders have held strong despite having been tazered, subjected to pain compliance techniques, and arrested by the RCMP and CGL security officers. Several more blockades have been erected, and the Wet’suwet’en are still occupying the drill site that threatens their land.
“Our way of life is at risk. Wedzin Kwa is the river that feeds all of Wet’suwet’en territory and gives life to our nation.” – Sleydo’, Gidimt’en checkpoint spokesperson
Coastal GasLink is pushing through a 670 km fracked gas pipeline, that crosses through Gidimt’en territory. Under ‘Anuc niwh’it’en (Wet’suwet’en law), all five clans of the Wet’suwet’en have unanimously opposed all pipeline proposals. For over 15 years, the Wet’suwet’en and their allies have been actively fighting off incursions on their territory, and have made call-outs for people to come onto the Yintah to support, or act in solidarity in their own cities and towns. In 2020, solidarity actions took the form of numerous rail and highway blockades, which paralyzed the Canadian economy.
While the world is descending into climate chaos caused by the wealthy but impacting the poor, and Canada digs up the mass graves of indigenous children murdered by the genocidal residential school system, it’s imperative that we take action to dismantle the colonial state and society that facilitate these atrocities.
Solidarity with land defenders on Cas Yikh territory. Fuck the RCMP. FUCK CGL. Fuck Canada. Shutdown Canada 2021.
“We need all the frontlines to be throwing down right now.” – Sleydo’, Gidimt’en checkpoint spokesperson
Comments Off on RBC Targeted in Solidarity with Wet’suwet’en Land Defenders
Oct022021
Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info
Canada is a lie. Reconciliation is dead. After night fell on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, RBC was targeted in the center of Montreal’s financial district. The Royal Bank of Canada is an investor in the Coastal GasLink pipeline. While they stage orange shirt photo ops to proclaim their commitment to reconciliation, CGL is attempting to drill under Wedzin Kwa, the sacred headwaters of the Wet’suwet’en people, with the help of the RCMP threatening, arresting, and torturing land defenders.
By morning they covered up the message we left them: “RBC funds colonialism. CGL off the Yintah”. Ashamed, RBC?
Reconciling with Canada’s genocidal history means confronting the institutions and infrastructures that reproduce colonial violence in the present. CGL, its investors, and the RCMP are playing with fire by prolonging their occupation of Wet’suwet’en territory.
Comments Off on Wet’suwet’en Territory: Gidimt’en Barricade CGL Access Road and Make Urgent Call for Support; RCMP Arrest One
Sep262021
FromGidimt’en Checkpoint
On September 22nd, 2021, after days of conflict between Gidimt’en/Cas Yikh Chiefs and members, Coastal GasLink and the RCMP, contractors completely cleared an archaeological site which has been destroyed with heavy machinery for the construction of a methane gas pipeline.
On the morning of September 26th, the access road to Coastal GasLink’s drill site was destroyed. A series of blockades were put into place and the site was occupied. When the chiefs arrived onsite, they were threatened with arrest and denied access to their territory. One person was arrested during the occupation. Wet’suwet’en chiefs are trying to protect the sacred head waters of Wedzin Kwa. We cannot let them drill under this river.
This call out is for all warriors upholding indigenous rights and sovereignty. For everyone who has dreams of being sovereign peoples. We call on everyone to stand up and make your voices heard. We need boots on the ground! Come to the yintah even if just for the day locally. Snecalyegh to all those sacrificing for Wedzin Kwa and our future generations.
For all Indigenous people that have ever dreamed of liberation we need you now to stand and say: “The genocide will no longer happen on Indigenous lands!” We are controlling access to the drill pad site. This project does not have the Free, Prior and Informed Consent of our Dinï ze’ and Tsakë ze.’ We have said many times within our balhats that no pipelines shall ever cross our territory. Now Wedzin kwa is under imminent threat. Come to the yintah now.
