Dramatic video shows the arrest of three members of the Tiny House Warriors at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C. Monday morning.
RCMP say they were called to campus for a meeting that was interrupted by “protesters.”
“We recognize that demonstrators have a right to lawful and peaceful and safe protests,” said Cpl. Jodi Shelkie.
“However, we had to take action.”
Shelkie said in an interview charges of assault and mischief are pending against the trio she declined to identify as statements were still being taken.
She said the arrests occurred outside a meeting room at 9:30 a.m. PT.
A video posted to the Warriors’ Facebook page shows some of what happened.
It shows a woman speaking into a bullhorn aimed at a closed door guarded by two men.
The woman lists reasons why the warriors oppose a pipeline.
“Genocide of our people: genocide, genocide, genocide, genocide,” the woman cries into the loudspeaker.
“This is a peaceful protest.”
APTN News confirmed the closed-door meeting was hosted by Natural Resources Canada, which did not supply a statement before this story was published.
A spokeswoman for the university said it simply provided space.
“TRU’s relationship to this matter is limited to building space being used for a third-party private event,” Darshan Lindsay said in an email.
APTN has confirmed Mayuk Manuel, Snutetkwe Manuel and Isha Jules were taken into custody.
The three were part of a group that waved banners and drummed songs outside the meeting they say was chaired by “a retired judge.”
At one point in the video there appears to be red paint splashed on the door.
“When we say No, this is what happens,” the woman continued before police arrived.
“We get removed, we get criminalized, we get removed.”
Her voice gets louder after police officers arrive and tell her she is under arrest. The woman is then taken into the room – presumably to be arrested – and the door remains closed.
Several men stand guard outside preventing anyone from entering.
“Let her go, she didn’t do anything wrong,” another woman demands as the video continues.
“This is all Secwepemc territory.”
Tiny House Warriors say their mission is to stop the 1,150-kilometre Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project from crossing into their nation’s unceded territory.
Their strategy is to place tiny houses along the 518-kilometre route in their nation,
Tiny houses filled with big hearts
Tiny houses filled with big hearts