Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs were joined by supporters at a rally outside Vancouver City Hall. The group then planned to march downtown before noon. At approximately 11:45 a.m., Vancouver police confirmed that a protest had closed all northbound lanes of the Cambie Street Bridge. Less than 10 minutes later, police said in an update that the bridge was reopened to traffic. The rally is part of a formal, nationwide tour that began earlier this month. The goal of the tour is to “strengthen relationships with stops in each province by combining the importance of ceremony, land and future generations.” The tour is scheduled to end on Friday. Local group Stop Fracking Around also said it plans to be at Monday’s event. The group is responsible for other local protests, including a recent one in Gastown where molasses was poured on the steam clock. The Coast GasLink project involves the construction of a 670-kilometre pipeline that will transport natural gas to northern B.C. at the LNG Canada Terminal in Kitimat. Once it reaches the terminal, the gas will be liquefied and shipped to international customers. The project led to major protests across Canada in early 2020, with some arguing that the project violates the traditional laws of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs. The nation has also accused the Mounties of harassing protest sites, leading to a lawsuit against the RCMP. The First Nation’s elected council and others in the area agreed to the construction project.
