RCMP video footage of raids on Wet'suwet'en pipeline blockade shown in court

Video footage captured by RCMP during a two-day police raid to enforce an injunction against blocking construction ofthe Coastal GasLinkpipeline on Wet'suwet'en territory was shown in court Wednesday during the trial of three people accused of taking part in the blockade.

Among the accused is prominent Wet'suwet'en leaderSleydo', also known as Molly Wickham, who has been the public face of a high-profile Indigenous land rights movement. She is a Wing Chief of Cas Yikh, a house group of the Gidimt'en Clan of the Wet'suwet'en Nation.

Sleydo' stands trial alongside Shaylynn Sampson, a Gitxsan woman with Wet'suwet'en family ties,and Corey Jocko, who is Kanien'keh:ka (Mohawk)from Akwesasne, whichstraddles the Quebec, Ontario and New York state borders. Theyeach faceone charge of criminal contempt of court.

The trial began in B.C. Supreme Court in Smithers, B.C., on Monday.

The Crown called RCMP Cpl. Kelly Grantto the stand Wednesday.

Grant testified that he took photos and videos of the two-day enforcement action that saw the arrests ofdozens of people who took part in a blockadeopposedto the construction ofa 670-kilometre pipeline to carry natural gas across northern British Columbia to a terminal in Kitimat, B.C., for export to Asia.

Coastal GasLink signed benefit agreements with 20 elected band councils along the project's route in 2018, but several Wet'suwet'en hereditary leaders refused to allow the pipeline to cross their territory.

The three accused were arrested on Nov. 19, 2021, when RCMP moved in on acamp that had been occupying a key pipeline worksite.

RCMParrive at tiny house and cabin

Video shot by Grant on the day of the arrests was shown in court on Wednesday.

A series of short video clips showedRCMP officers approachinga tiny house, knocking on the door and informing the occupants of the injunction.

In the video, one of at least three RCMP officers at the scene identifiedhimself asKen Floyd, who at the time was thebronze police of jurisdiction commander for North District stationed in Prince George.

Floyd testified Wednesdaythat he was the one in the video who knockedon the door of the tiny house and readfrom a script to inform the occupantsof aninjunction granted by the B.C. Supreme Court in December 2019 that bars anyone from impeding work on the pipeline.

In the video, someoneinside the cabin can be heard yelling back at Floyd.

Floyd identifiedthe voice in court as Sleydo'. Floydsaid she toldhim he was trespassing on Wet'suwet'en territory and askedif he hada warrant to enter the tiny house.

The next clip showedfour RCMP officers arrivingat a smallcabin structure withFloyd knockingon the door and reading the scriptto the people inside.

"You are under arrest for civil contempt of court," Floyd said in the video.

Someone from inside the cabin responded, "You are trespassing on Wet'suwet'en territory."

RCMP officers then walked around the cabin before the video clip ends.

Police break down the door

In the next clip filmed by Grant, severalRCMP officers are seenback outside the tiny house.

The video shows one of the officers in tactical gear holdinga barking police dog andanother officer usinga chainsawto cut the door of the tiny house. Grant said in court he was unsure if the officer brought the chainsaw or was using one found at the location.

When the door is removed, RCMP arrested several people who hadtheir hands up, two of whomappear to be Sleydo' and Sampson.

A female voiceheard in the video says, "You are choking me, get your hands off my regalia." It is unclearfrom thevideo what happened during theinteraction.

One person was carried out of the tiny house by his hands and legs by four RCMP officers and arrested.

Two people identifyingas members of themedia came out of the tiny house and were arrested, the video shows. Theyappear to be photojournalist Amber Bracken, who at the time was on assignment for news outlet The Narwhal, and documentary filmmaker Michael Toledano.

The rest of the video shows the individuals being searched by RCMP and arrested.

RCMP drone footageshown in court showsmore than a dozen police officers at the site of the tiny houseto arrest aroundsix people.

Neither Grant nor Floyd were at the second smaller cabin location when arrests were made.Among those arrested was Jocko.

RCMP drone footageshown in court showedthe door of the cabin smashed in and about four people being arrested by police.

The Crown concluded its caseWednesday. On Tuesday,the Crown called several Coastal GasLink workers to testify about their role during the two days of police raids.

Court will resume at 10 a.m. Thursday in Smithers, B.C.