The Philippine Women Centre of Ontario stands in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en land and water protectors for their ongoing fight against the Canadian government and Coastal GasLink Pipeline Ltd. for their illegal encroachment on their territory. On February 10th, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) arrested seven matriarchs and community leaders at the Unist’ot’en camps while holding ceremony to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. We condemn the Canadian government for deploying the RCMP to protect the interests of private extractive industries while completely disregarding the sovereignty of Indigenous lands.
The irony is not lost on us. It is our long-held stance that state violence is also gendered violence, with women bearing the brunt of it. Now is as important a time as any and we must recognize the common enemy to marginalized and oppressed peoples, most especially women of colour. We reject Canada’s incessant capitalist and colonial project and we stand with Indigenous women in their active and open resistance to the state; a state that espouses empty promises of reconciliation while operating on stolen land.
Justice for Wet’suwet’en people!
Justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls!
People and land over profit!