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Asarial, Yesterday in Victoria, the RCMP hosted an “Appreciation Day” as part of RCMP 150 — an anniversary celebration designed, according to their website, “to show pride in our RCMP family.” [1] But Asarial, these celebrations are providing cover for a more sinister and shameful truth: that the RCMP’s job is to protect extractive industries — no matter the cost. In 2017, an RCMP unit called the Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG) was specifically created to police resistance to resource extraction in BC – with no limits on their budget, size, or jurisdiction. [2] For half a decade, the C-IRG has been protecting the interests of destructive projects like fracked pipelines and old-growth logging — by violently arresting and harassing Indigenous land defenders, as we saw at Fairy Creek and Unist’ot’en Camp. [3] And Asarial, they are operating with almost no government oversight. [4] It’s a gross assault on our democracy — and certainly not something to take pride in. If we make a show of public outrage at the C-IRG’s violence and lack of accountability, we can push the government to put an end to a unit that faces “allegations of excessive force, illegal tactics, unprofessional behaviour, racism, discrimination and charter violations.” [5] If the government wants reconciliation, they cannot allow the C-IRG’s surveillance and harassment of Wet’suwet’en and other Indigenous land defenders to continue. The RCMP is under the direction of federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, and in BC, Solicitor General Mike Farnworth. [6] Will you sign the petition calling on them to dismantle the C-IRG and conduct a public inquiry into its actions?
The RCMP has a long history of colonial violence — in fact, the force was first created as the North-West Mounted Police in 1873 to control Indigenous peoples and remove them from their territory. [7] And in the 150 years since, the RCMP has systematically displaced and brutalized Indigenous communities. [8] Now, freedom of information laws have forced the RCMP to reveal that the C-IRG has spent nearly $50 million enforcing injunctions obtained by the fossil fuel and forestry industries. [9] This spending has gone towards increased violence against Indigenous land defenders, like the 2021 militarized raids on the Wet’suwet’en people, forcibly removing elders and families from their unceded land. [10] Thanks to recent reporting, more people are starting to pay attention to the violent conduct of the C-IRG. [11] Now, we need to make it known that it is unacceptable for the government to provide unlimited resources to a squad that violates Indigenous rights in order to make way for environmental destruction. Three times, the UN has condemned the C-IRG’s use of force, surveillance, and criminalization of land defenders and peaceful protesters to intimidate, remove and forcibly evict Wet’suwet’en people from their traditional lands. [12] The governments of BC and Canada have not responded, even though Canada is supposed to abide by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. [13] The C-IRG has operated in secrecy for too long – we must demand transparency and an end to this colonial violence. Will you call on Public Safety Minister Mendicino and BC Solicitor General Farnworth to dismantle the Community-Industry Response Group and conduct a public inquiry into its actions?
https://act.leadnow.ca/dismantle-cirg/ With determination, P.S. If you want to learn more about the role of the C-IRG in the repression of Indigenous land defence struggles, our allies at Peace Brigades International – Canada are hosting a webinar on Tuesday, February 21 at 1pm PT. Register here. Sources: |
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