Palestine flag removed from ‘sacred mountain’ Stawamus Chief

The Squamish First Nation says a Palestine flag has been removed after it was hung on the rock face of the Stawamus Chief last week.

The flag was removed by members of the Squamish Access Society on Sunday night.

2:12 First Nation asks person responsible for placing Palestine flag on Stawamus Chief to remove it

The First Nation had requested those responsible to come and remove the flag, calling their plea not politically motivated, but rather an ask to respect the sacred mountain.

In a statement, the Squamish Access Society said it “was supporting the Squamish Nation in their request to have the flag removed and we were not making a political statement by our actions.”

“We want to express how deep, concerning and disrespectful it is to that connection we have to the mountain and, you know, I feel for our people today and over the past week of feeling disrespected and we want to utilise this time to be able to educate people about that deep, deep connection and sacredness that it has to our Sk̲wx̲wú7mesh people,” Wilson Williams, elected councillor and spokesperson for the Squamish Nation, told Global News.