VANCOUVER -- Anti-pipeline protesters painted a mural on Victoria's Johnson Street Bridge during their occupation of it Saturday afternoon, but it lasted less than 24 hours before city crews removed it.
The City of Victoria's head of engagement Bill Eisenhauer confirmed to CTV News Vancouver Island that workers seen on the bridge Sunday morning were removing the mural. They also inspected the bridge and determined there was no other damage.
Protesters have been camping outside the B.C. legislature building for several days in support of the hereditary chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en Nation who oppose the construction of a natural gas pipeline in their traditional territories.
On Saturday afternoon, they marched to the bridge, blocking traffic across it for several hours before returning to the legislature.
They planned to continue protesting on Sunday, though it was unclear as of 1 p.m. whether they would be blocking traffic on the Johnson Street Bridge again.
The actions in Victoria were part of nation-wide efforts by supporters of the hereditary chiefs, who also rallied at Vancouver's city hall and blocked ports, bridges, railways and streets around Canada again Sunday.
The protesters say they are acting in solidarity with opponents of the Coastal GasLink pipeline, who have set up camps along a forest service road near the pipeline's construction zones outside of Houston, B.C.
Arrests are mounting at those camps as police continue enforcing a court injunction against the protesters.
RCMP officers arrested 11 people Saturday who allegedly barricaded themselves in a warming centre in a forested area near the work site.
Wet'suwet'en supporters say the RCMP expanded the zone covered by the court injunction when it made those arrests.
With files from The Canadian Press
