By Canadian Press

Indigenous young people file complaints after Victoria police arrests

Jan 29, 2020 | 2:46 PM

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.

Blaney says she witnessed one person suffer a swollen arm and hand after it was by an officer from a lockbox used as a protest device, while fellow protester Aya Clappis says she saw blood on the ground outside and was told a supporter had a gash under his eye.

Neither Clappis nor Blaney personally saw the man described as having the gash, and he did not immediately return a request for comment, while the protester with the alleged arm injury declined an interview request.

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Victoria police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday but said last week there were no injuries during the arrests, which were made after officers tried to find a peaceful resolution.

“The minimum amount of force was utilized to effect the arrests. As such, the arrests took place over a four-hour period,” police said in a statement.

Officers were required to carry protesters from the building to waiting police vehicles, the statement added, while additional protesters outside tried to impede the arrests.

“Protesters surrounded the officers, who were pushed and shoved while carrying arrestees to the police vehicles.”

Andrea Spindler, the deputy police complaint commissioner, says her office has received several complaints from people present at the protest. The office is contacting complainants for further information and has yet to decide on next steps, she says.

“Any investigation that happens relating to this incident will be investigated with rigorous civilian oversight by the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner,” she says.

Blaney, who is 18 and a member of the Tla’amin Nation in southwest B.C., says the purpose of the occupation was to demand the minister’s office pressure Premier John Horgan to meet face-to-face with Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs, who have requested a meeting.

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.

The police use of force was “unnecessary,” Blaney said.

“It’s about treating our youth with dignity. That’s not the treatment that we received.”

Don Tom, vice-president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, says in a statement that the police response is “concerning” given the over-representation of Indigenous people in the justice system.

“We continue to call for peace and non-violence.”

— By Laura Kane in Vancouver

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 29, 2020.

The Canadian Press