Straight Talk

Mounties' claims about Coastal GasLink attack raise fears of looming crackdown on Wet'suwet'en land defenders

by Charlie Smith on February 18th, 2022 at 6:31 AM
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      Last night, I wrote a commentary suggesting that people should remain skeptical about a recent RCMP news release in the absence of further evidence.

      It concerned an alleged attack by 20 people on a Coastal GasLink work site deep in the wilderness in northwestern B.C.

      Some of the assailants were allegedly wielding axes, according to the Mounties, before they disappeared into the forest.

      The February 17 news release was issued after the Liberal government had invoked the Emergencies Act to deal with an insurrection by vaccine-mandate opponents, white nationalists, and western separatists.

      It also came as pressure is building in Alberta to replace the Mounties with a provincial police force and as its largest detachment in Surrey is being replaced with a municipal police force.

      In addition, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino's mandate letter calls for a broad review of all RCMP contract policing.

      Judging from various comments on social media, I'm not the only one feeling baffled by the RCMP news release.

      Environmental activist Kai Nagata is among those who worry that there could be more sinister intentions behind the police statement. You can read comments by him and other skeptics below.

      Update

      Indigenous activist Gord Hill has presented a different perspective on what happened. It throws some cold water on conspiracy theories..

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