Protesters call on Legault to apologize
Kahnawake group decries premier’s AK-47 remark
Premier François Legault must apologize for suggesting peaceful protesters are actually gun-toting militants, says a spokesperson for Mohawks blocking rail tracks in Kahnawake.
“He has painted us as being violent and armed, and we’re not,” said Kenneth Deer, the secretary for the Mohawk Nation of Kahnawake.
“We’re worried about violence instigated by others against Indigenous people,” Deer added. “Comments like (Legault’s) can encourage vigilantism.
“We might see a spike in racism against Indigenous people across Canada because of this, or even in Quebec if Mr. Legault doesn’t apologize.”
The Mohawk protesters set up a blockade on the tracks in Kahnawake on Feb. 8, in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs opposed to the construction of a natural gas pipeline on their territory in northern British Columbia.
On Wednesday, Legault said Sûreté du Québec police are hesitant to intervene because police sources tell the government there are AK-47 rifles present, a statement denounced by Indigenous leaders.
In a statement to the Montreal Gazette, a spokesperson for Legault said he would not apologize.
“It’s a very delicate subject, but the premier had the obligation to inform Quebecers,” Ewan Sauves said in the statement.
“We reiterate the urgency for the federal government to resolve this crisis.”
Deer said the statement by Legault was “typical” for a government that has “shown a lot of disrespect for minorities.”
“His not apologizing is an indication of the kind of government we have to deal with,” Deer said. “He should have said something that would help de-escalate the situation, but by not apologizing it shows he doesn’t care about how we feel or how we felt. It’s only about him and not about us.”
Deer said he hopes for progress in talks that began Thursday between the federal government and the B.C. chiefs.
The chiefs issued a statement saying the conditions were met for positive negotiations with the federal government.
Deer said the protesters have blocked the rail — used by eight transport trains per day and 5,000 commuters on Exo’s Candiac line — at the request of the B.C. chiefs. The blockade will be lifted when the chiefs are satisfied with the state of negotiations, Deer said.
Canadian Pacific was granted an injunction this week for the blockade to be taken down, but the Kahnawake Peacekeepers — the police force with jurisdiction on the territory — said they would not enforce the injunction.
Deer said the SQ has respected the authority of the Peacekeepers so far and hopes that will continue.
“The SQ are being very co-operative and they understand the situation,” he said. “They realize that this could be resolved peacefully and they won’t have to enter the community.
“Our understanding is that the SQ is hoping that this will be resolved without any intervention. As you can see, there are not a whole lot of SQ in the area, so I think that’s a goodwill sign that they are willing to wait for a while.”
He said the rail line that is being blocked isn’t inconveniencing many people.
“This is not a really big, vital link,” Deer said. “The commuters are a little bit discomforted. They’re still travelling. Trains have been replaced by buses. It’s an inconvenience, but I don’t think it’s a vital issue right now to open these lines.
“It’s unfortunate that CP got this injunction. I really think that was unnecessary.”