First Nations slow traffic on Highway 401 in support of Wet’suwet’en members against pipeline

Traffic was backed up on different parts of Highway 401 in Ontario Friday as First Nations purposely drive slow in support of those against a British Columbia pipeline.

One began near Cornwall, Ont. and headed west, while another close to London, Ont.

Reports suggested they were driving between 45 km/h to 60 km/h. The speed limit is 100 km/h.

The Ontario Provincial Police basically provided an escort for the rolling blockades.

RCMP took 14 people into custody Monday after rushing a homemade checkpoint on Gidimt’en territory set up to block Coast GasLink employees from reaching a healing centre on Unist’ot’en territory.

Coast GasLink wants access through the Unist’ot’en camp 20 kilometres up the Morice River road from the Gidimt’en check point to complete preparatory work on the 670-kilometre pipeline.

The camp has been standing for nearly a decade to prevent three proposed pipelines from cutting through Wet’suwet’en territory.

The company has signed agreements with elected representatives of 20 First Nations along the pipeline route.

Anger greeted news Wednesday that hereditary Wet’suwet’en chiefs brokered a peaceful end to a potentially violent pipeline standoff.

Leader Freda Huson stormed out of a closed-door meeting at the Unist’ot’en camp south of Houston, B.C., and slammed the door.

She just learned chiefs promised the RCMP she and her partner Warner Naziel would abide by rules of an interim court injunction in exchange for calling off a police raid.

news.ca