VICTORIA—British Columbia’s police complaints commissioner says it has received several complaints about use of force by Victoria police during the arrests of young Indigenous protesters inside a cabinet minister’s office. Ta’Kaiya Blaney says she was one of 13 people arrested on Jan. 22 after the group occupied the energy and mines minister’s office for 15 hours. The group describes itself as Indigenous youth land defenders and it held the protest in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs who oppose the Coastal GasLink pipeline in northern B.C. Coastal GasLink has signed benefits agreements with all 20 elected First Nations councils along the pipeline route but the hereditary chiefs say the project can’t proceed without their consent. Indian Chiefs, says in a statement that the police response is “concerning” given the over-representation of Indigenous people in the justice system.

Source: thestar January 29, 2020 22:30 UTC