FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 7th, 2020
Today, over 103,239 individuals are calling on KKR to drop their plans to purchase the Coastal GasLink pipeline, citing concerns that the project violates Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs’ consent.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, construction on the Coastal GasLink pipeline continues, putting the community further at risk as hundreds of workers move through Northern communities with small numbers of hospital beds.
The signatories and over 20 supporting groups and organizations are calling on Chase Bank and KKR to drop the Coastal GasLink pipeline immediately. Coastal GasLink’s parent company TC Energy reported on May 1 that it is on track to complete the sale to KKR by the end of the month.
“KKR and Chase Bank funding the Coastal GasLink pipeline are putting the climate, womxn, and water at risk for a project that is against the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs’ consent. This project will never be built, and the communities along the route demand that work stop today. Wet’suwet’en title has never been erased, and today we see that hundreds of thousands stand together for their human rights,” said Janet MacGillivray, Executive Director, Seeding Sovereignty.
The rights and title of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs to their lands are recognized within the Supreme Court of Canada, making the ongoing construction of the fracked gas project illegal according to both Canadian law and Wet’suwet’en law, two distinct legal frameworks.
“We have always used this system of governance and collective decision-making to discuss and to state what is and what is not allowed on our territory. We have very strong trespass laws. Coastal GasLink, TC Energy, the province and the federal government are providing false authority and false, unauthorized permission on lands that we hold full jurisdiction to make decisions on.” – Molly Wickham, Spokesperson, Gidimt’en Camp
“We are doing this to save humanity, if we destroy the earth, the earth will recover; we won’t. The earth doesn’t need us, we need it.”- Freda Huson Wet’suwet’en spokesperson Howilhkat
Tlux’shaa’du’stee, Liz Marin, is a member of United for Respect, a group that worked to find justice for thousands of Toys’R’Us employees that were laid off by KKR. They won a 20 million dollar severance fund. “My mother taught me to stand up for myself and what I believe in. Her brave spirit gave me the courage to stand up to KKR once before. And now, I am going to stand up to them again.”
Over 20 groups are holding an online rally that thousands have registered to attend. Speakers include Freda Huson, Unist’ot’en Clan member and the spokesperson for Unist’ot’en Camp, Molly Wickham, Gidimt’en Clan member and spokesperson for Wet’suwet’en Access Point on Gidimt’en Territory, Tlux’shaa’du’stee, Liz Marin, Member of United for Respect, Janet MacGillivray: J.D., L.L.M., and Executive Director of Seeding Sovereignty and Delee Nikal, Wet’suwet’en Organizer from Gidimt’en Clan.
Rally and content on social media, will be livestreamed from 12pm-1pm pdt, recording posted after:
https://www.facebook.com/events/230185041566924/
#ShutDownKKR #WetsuwetenStrong
Petition link:
