Protestors with Amnesty International and the Green Party of Ontario took part in a protest pushing the Royal Bank of Canada to stop financing pipelines and other fossil fuel projects.
This comes ahead of an April 5 shareholders meeting.
Lori Borthwick, President of the Bay of Quinte Green Party of Ontario, says the those protesting on Saturday were doing so in support of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation.
She says RBC is violating the human rights of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation by giving financial support to the Coast GasLink pipeline through sovereign territory.
“We want the people who invest in RBC to agree that the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous People should be applied in Canada and that we will be allowing them to have some sovereignty and maybe change the route of this pipeline or maybe move away from pipelines altogether,” Borthwick tells Quinte News.
Many held signs showing their support for the Wet’suwet’en First Nation.
Borthwick described the different types of people that were a part of the protest.
“We have a lot of people from Amnesty International. We have concerned citizens who’ve worked in the medical field and know the health ramifications of oil and gas development. We have people that are concerned about Indigenous rights and sovereignty. So it’s a real mix, but we’re all united together just to highlight this issue today,” she said.
Protestors started their march at the corner of North Front St. and Bell Boulevard around noon on Saturday and worked their way over to the RBC branch.
Protestors gathering before beginning their march to the RBC branch. April 1, 2023. (Photo: Zach McGibbon/Quinte News)
