Rallies in support of the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs have been happening across the country, and a few members of the Indigenous community in the Vernon area gathered on Highway 97 Thursday afternoon to show their solidarity.
"I'm very tired with the attitudes of the people in Vernon about this issue," says Mariel Belanger, one of the sympathizers who was rallying beside the highway. "I feel more safe on the side of this highway than I do in Vernon, because of the reaction here."
The protests are happening because of the Coastal GasLink's planned route for a pipeline through Wet'suwet'en traditional territory in northern BC. While the pipeline is the main reason for the protests and rallies, Belanger hopes that these actions will place the bigger picture under the microscope.
"We have to slow down and look at our industrial practices," she says. "Right now we have caribou that are going extinct, and that's our way of life. We've been able to live before, so we are able to slow down."
The North Okanagan RCMP were on hand to monitor the peaceful protest and ensure the safety of everyone involved.
— John Lawless, Castanet
