For a decade, Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs and Land defenders have been fighting the construction of Phase 1 of the Coastal GasLink (CGL) pipeline. A hyper-militarized unit of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the C-IRG (now renamed the Critical Response Unit), has repeatedly invaded the Yintah, Wet'suwet'en ancestral territory, arresting defenders with weapons, police dogs, and even subjecting them to torture sessions. Activists are currently suing the RCMP for violating their rights under the Canadian Charter.
In the years leading up to the opposition against Phase 1 of the CGL pipeline, Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs and territorial guardians worked to establish and strengthen ties with allied Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. Thanks to this groundwork, when the RCMP invaded Yintah in 2020, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous allies retaliated by blocking rail infrastructure. This became a pivotal moment in the Land Back movement, particularly for white Canadian activists who, for the first time, were mobilized to take risks in solidarity with an Indigenous movement. Thanks to the sustained and widespread resistance to the CGL pipeline, the project faced significant delays, resulting in billions of dollars in additional costs.
Despite the staggering operating costs imposed on TC Energy, KKR, and AIMCo (the owners and operators of the CGL), these companies recently launched Phase 2 of the CGL project, which will double the pipeline's capacity. This new phase involves adding several compressor stations along the CGL route, clearing more areas for worker encampments, burning methane for energy, and causing further harm to Indigenous communities and the environment through increased noise and pollution. If the CGL pipeline proceeds, an incident could poison several rivers that are home to salmon populations and disrupt complex forest, riparian, and marine ecosystems—ecosystems that are central to millennia-old Indigenous lifestyles and cultures. Wet'suwet'en communities are now calling on their supporters and allies to prepare for actions in solidarity with their struggle.