On Wednesday, the Gitxsan Hwuilp Government held a rally in downtown Smithers, wanting the BC Supreme Court and province to “Negotiate, not litigate.”
During speeches made by chiefs and other supporters at the event, calls were made to dismantle the RCMP Critical Response Unit-BC (CRU-BC, formerly the Community-Industry Response Group or C-IRG).
RCMP E Division Staff Sergeant Kris Clark said in a statement to My Bulkley Lakes Now the unit is not called upon as a first resort.
“It is important to understand that enforcement actions by the CRU-BC are considered to be a last resort as they are only undertaken once all other avenues to resolve conflict have been exhausted,” he said.
Part of the motivation behind the march was a recent court case related to the Costal GasLink pipeline incidents in 2022.
“When protests are peaceful, lawful and safe, there is no need for CRU-BC intervention but considering the violent attack on the Coastal GasLink site in February 2022, the need for police intervention was very clear,” Clark said.
“While their perception of CRU-BC must be respected, it is also important to understand that there have been no physical injuries as a result of any enforcement actions to date. CRU-BC remains uniquely situated, with their specific training and resources, to enforce court injunctions and ensure public safety is maintained in the area, if required.”
Claims were also made during the rally that police weren’t actively searching for missing indigenous women and girls along the Highway of Tears.
Clark clarified that police continue to work on raising awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people and all missing persons cases remain active and ongoing until the person is found.
“While Indigenous people have historically been over-represented amongst missing persons, I can also tell you that, regardless of their race or gender, the safety and wellbeing of any missing person is always the primary concern driving investigative tasks and decisions, and the investigations into those who have gone missing along Highway 16 are no different.”
“The BC RCMP continuously engages external partners and follows up on all investigative leads while also keeping the families updated with regards to the respective searches,” he added.