Protesters are gathering at Kinder Morgan’s facility in Burnaby, B.C., today to once again protest the expansion of the company’s Trans Mountain pipeline.
It’s the latest in a series of demonstrations against the project, which would triple the amount of oil flowing from Alberta to Burnaby and increase tanker traffic in the Burrard Inlet.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip with the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs and the executive of the B.C. Union of Indian Chiefs led hundreds of protesters to the gates of the Kinder Morgan work site, where they said they would be taking part in “unprecedented action.”
Activist and writer Naomi Klein is also in attendance alongside the First Nations leaders.
HUGE! Hundreds mobilizing at Kinder Morgan’s toxic pipeline terminal gates.<br><br>Grand Chief, Indigenous leaders, <a href=”https://twitter.com/NaomiAKlein?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@NaomiAKlein</a> and people from all over the Salish Seas out today to protect the <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/climate?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#climate</a>, protect the water and <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/StopKM?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#StopKM</a><a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/cdnpoli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#cdnpoli</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/bcpoli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#bcpoli</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/protectthepacific?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#protectthepacific</a> <a href=”https://t.co/6c6Or8UpxL”>pic.twitter.com/6c6Or8UpxL</a>
—@MikeHudema
RCMP say they have arrested about 200 people demonstrating around the Trans Mountain facilities since mid-March, and while most face charges for civil contempt, officers have also made arrests for mischief, obstruction and assault of a police officer.
Hundreds of people also gathered outside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s events in Victoria and Vancouver this week, where some protesters said that the Liberals will lose votes in B-C if the pipeline is built.