Wet'suwet'en Nation Solidarity Rally
The Hague, The Netherlands
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020
starting at 9AM
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Please join us on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 at the Canadian Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands to stand in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en land protectors and show support for Indigenous sovereignty and ending resource extraction projects that threaten the lives of future generations.
The Unist’ot’en Camp and the larger Wet’suwet’en Nation have been peacefully and firmly opposing the Canadian government’s plan to build a dangerous pipeline through their traditional lands without consent. The government continues to ignore the right of the Wet’suwet’en people to protect their own land and people from industrial invasion. This deeply disrespectful act of physical, cultural, and ecological violence by a government that tries to appear culturally and ecologically sensitive must be stopped immediately.
“On February 10, 2020 Canadian Police invaded unceded Unist’ot’en territory, arresting and forcibly removing Freda Huson (Chief Howilhkat), Brenda Michell (Chief Geltiy), Dr. Karla Tait, and four Indigenous land defenders from our yintah. They were arrested in the middle of a ceremony to honour the ancestors. Police tore down the red dresses that were hung to hold the spirits of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two spirit people. They extinguished our sacred fire. We have had enough. Enough dialogue, discussion, negotiation at the barrel of a gun. Canada comes to colonize. Reconciliation is dead. It is time to fight for our land, our lives, our children, our future. Revolution lives.” - Unist'ot'en Camp
Recently people in Canada and in the USA have been coming together to hold protests, rallies, and fundraisers to show their support for Wet’suwet’en land defenders. Human blockades at various railroads across the country have stopped the movement of many trains; the train system being a strong symbol of colonial expansionism that helped facilitate cultural genocide and decimation.
Until the Canadian government’s law enforcement officers and pipeline workers leave the Wet’suwet’en territory, until Canada allows the Wet’suwet’en people the right to decide what happens on their own land, and until Canada stops the expansion of its profit-driven fossil fuel economy in a time of massive species extinction and ecological catastrophe we will continue to gather, show our anger, and oppose the Canadian government’s careless actions.
We encourage Canadians living in the Netherlands and all people concerned about Indigenous rights and environmental decimation to join us at the Canadian Embassy at 9am on Wednesday, February 19th. The weather is expected to be a mix of sun and cloud with an average temperature of 7 degrees celsius.
Please prepare yourself to be outdoors occupying space in front of the Embassy. Please dress in warm clothes, bring rain gear and food and reusable water bottles.
Futhermore we encourage people to write letters to Sabine Nölke (Canada’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands) asking her to vocally condemn Canada’s violence against the Wet’suwet’en people and to vocally oppose the pipeline project (https://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/netherlands-pays_bas/offices-bureaux/ambassador-ambassadeur.aspx?lang=en)
We also encourage people to make money donations to the Unist'ot'en 2020 Legal Fund.
Here are the words of Freda Huson, Unist’ot’en House spokesperson:
“Oil and gas corporations use legal pressure, intimidation, wealth, and resources to do their dirty work. We must come together and let it be known that those defending the land will be supported. This fight is far from over. If you have witnessed the power of the land, if you have been inspired from afar, if you care about the future of this planet, Indigenous sovereignty, and human rights, please donate to this legal fund.”
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Lastly, a link to the film “Invasion”: -https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=D3R5Uy5O_Ds&feature=emb_title
And to the Wet’suwet’en Supporter Toolkit 2020:
http://unistoten.camp/supportertoolkit2020/