More than 50 arrested in Kinder Morgan protests

Nov 24, 2014 | News

Courtesy of @Green_Slate on Twitter "We are not protesters. We are people."

Courtesy of @Green_Slate on Twitter
Protesters gathered at Burnaby Mountain

By Viktoria Sciacca

Dozens of protesters have been arrested as Kinder Morgan begins it’s $2.3 billion pipeline project in Burnaby, Vancouver.

Members of the community as well as biological activists have been protesting over the weekend, protecting the area that is now a picnic and hiking site for locals. More than 50 protesters have already been arrested, and have detained an 11-year old girl and her mom.

Since the proposition started over two weeks ago, photos and videos of police officers “clashing with the protesters” have surfaced.

U.S.-based Kinder Morgan is currently trying to expand its existing 300,000 barrel per-day pipeline project into the suburban community by cutting down trees and drilling two deep test holes into the mountain. Many residents oppose the idea, as the project would allow Kinder Morgan to ship tar sands crude from Alberta to Vancouver and onto Asian markets.

Vancouver-born environmentalist David Suzuki made an impromptu call, after his grandson was “dragged across the line and arrested,” according to Suzuki.

David Suzuki said although he has “great thoughts about the RCMP” that does not give them the right to make their own laws. Suzuki expresses his disappointment because he and others “have respect” for the law.

Suzuki’s grandson Tamo Campos also made a speech after his arrest for protesting. An emotional Campos questioned the “radical” proposition to conduct the survey tests “in the midst of a climate change” and questioned using police force for voicing “a public opinion.”

 

The protest have also gained national recognition as #BurnabyMountain has been trending all over Twitter.

However, Kinder Morgan still won the Canadian court case despite weeks of protesting, and started drilling 250-metre test holes around 4 p.m. on Friday. The survey tests will run for the next nine days.