Wet’suwet’en supporters light ceremonial fire at steps of B.C. legislature

SMITHERS, B.C. – A ceremonial fire is burning on the front steps of the British Columbia legislature as supporters of Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs join protests across Canada to halt a natural gas pipeline project in the province's northwest.

A spokesman for the group says the fire is contained within a steel fire pit on the front steps of the building where dozens of people wrapped in blankets and sleeping bags spent the night outdoors.

Kolin Sutherland-Wilson says the presence of a large pile of chopped firewood and a sleeping area near the legislature's ceremonial entrance indicates people could be planning an extended stay.

The B.C. legislature is not the only location where people have come out against the pipeline — protesters in Ontario have stopped railway traffic east of Toronto.

Meanwhile, the RCMP say several of their vehicles have been damaged by metal spikes at a protest site where people are opposing the Coastal GasLink pipeline in Wet'suwet'en nation near Smithers.

Four people were arrested by RCMP on Friday as demonstrators continued to access the site and organize blockades.

Mounties say the vehicles were damaged when they entered a court-ordered exclusion zone for protesters on Friday night.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2020.