A protester being led away by RCMP at the Trans Mountain facility in Burnaby. Photo courtesy of Protect The Inlet
About 100 pipeline protestors returned to Trans Mountain’s Burnaby Terminal Saturday after an injunction was granted by the B.C. Supreme Court earlier this week.
A small group was seen standing outside the Kinder Morgan gate — defying the indefinite injunction aimed to prevent people entering within five metres of two work sites.
Indigenous leaders from the Coast Salish Territories are in attendance at the protest, and say they plan to take bold action.
The protests are expected to continue daily until at least March 26, Kinder Morgan’s deadline to finish tree logging before the arrival of migratory birds.
Kinder Morgan would risk construction delays if they fail to complete their logging work by that time.
One protester was arrested by Burnaby RCMP Friday morning after she chained herself to a work truck.
Following the arrest, RCMP said they wanted to remind those involved in the ongoing demonstrations that police are an impartial party and that they are there to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
RCMP arrested around 10 individuals by 4 p.m. Saturday, as protesters remained at the front gates.
“I don’t think the arrests will slow down our planned activities,” said Amina Moustaqim-Barrette of Protect the Inlet. “We are planning to be back Monday to Sunday next week, [the arrests] will reaffirm their cause.”
Protect the Inlet says 28 demonstrators have blocked the entrance to Kinder Morgan’s work site since 10 a.m.
Trans Mountain says their 7.4-billion project is aimed to be completed by December 2020 and would increase the flow of oil products from 300,000 barrels to 890,000 barrels per day.
About 100 protesters gathered on Burnaby Mountain Saturday to voice opposing to the Trans Mountain pipeline. (Deborah Goble/CBC)
Thousands of people showed up last Saturday in Burnaby for a First Nations-led protest against the pipeline expansion.
Hours later a much smaller pro-pipeline rally was held in downtown Vancouver.
With files from The Canadian Press and CBC
Julian Kolsut
