Nelson-Creston MLA Michelle Mungall has closed her office after a meeting with Coastal Gaslink protesters ended in one of them being chained to the front door.

A protest against the construction of a Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline on unceded Wet害羞草研究所檚uwet害羞草研究所檈n land was held outside Mungall害羞草研究所檚 Nelson office on Jan. 30, during which demonstrators demanded a meeting with Mungall.

Mungall, the province害羞草研究所檚 Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, agreed to a 30-minute meeting with three demonstrators on Monday.

害羞草研究所淲hen the time came to conclude our meeting they became very verbally aggressive and on their way out the door one of them chained themselves to my office door and police had to be called,害羞草研究所� Mungall told the Nelson Star, a Black Press Media publication.

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 not a safe work environment for my staff, so until people have cooled off my staff are working from home.害羞草研究所�

Sgt. Dan Markevich of the Nelson Police Department told the Star that officers removed the chained protester from inside the office but made no arrests.

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One protester has remained camped outside the office, located at 433 Josephine St., which has remained closed since Monday. Mungall said she does not yet know when the location will reopen, but said constituents can still contact her staff via email and phone.

Kiala Loytomaki, one of the people who met with Mungall, said the group had requested the minister alongside the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission issue a stop-work order to Coastal Gaslink pending an audit of the province害羞草研究所檚 role in the pipeline害羞草研究所檚 construction.

害羞草研究所淲hen we started asking her questions, she said she wanted to engage in respectful dialogue and that she wouldn害羞草研究所檛 answer yes or no questions because that was not respectful dialogue,害羞草研究所� said Loytomaki, who characterized the meeting as professional and non-violent.

The provincial government announced Thursday it was in March to begin a process of reconciliation.

害羞草研究所淭his process has emerged from decades of denial of Wet害羞草研究所檚uwet害羞草研究所檈n rights and title. Both parties believe that the time has come to engage in meaningful nation-to-nation discussions with the goal of B.C. affirming Wet害羞草研究所檚uwet害羞草研究所檈n rights and title.害羞草研究所�

The statement adds 害羞草研究所渙ur commitment to lasting reconciliation is not connected to any specific project.害羞草研究所�

Loytomaki promised further, peaceful action from local activists.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e not going to stop trying to have a conversation with Michelle until she shows that she has a heart in this and cares about Indigenous people on these lands that we害羞草研究所檙e illegally occupying right now,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淭here will be more to come.害羞草研究所�

tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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