Calling Out Trudeau ‘Betrayal,’ Water Defenders Mobilize Against Kinder Morgan Pipeline

By Jake Johnson

Indigenous leaders, lawmakers, students and environmentalists took part in a massive day of action that stretched across Canada on Friday to protest the expansion of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain tar sands pipeline, a project Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he will “ensure” is completed.

Calling out the prime minister by name, demonstrators hoisted signs and banners proclaiming, “Climate leaders don’t build pipelines.”

In what was called a first in Canadian history, two sitting members of parliament—Green Party leader Elizabeth May and New Democrat Kennedy Stewart—were arrested for demonstrating against the Trans Mountain pipeline outside of the gate of a Kinder Morgan construction site on Burnaby Mountain, where indigenous leaders staged a sit-in last weekend.

“This is because of Justin Trudeau’s betrayal of British Columbia,” Stewart said as he was led away by law enforcement. According to Vice, more than 100 pipeline protesters have been arrested this week alone as opposition to Kinder Morgan’s project mounts.

BREAKING: For the first time ever sitting Canadian members of parliament have been arrested for a political cause. @ElizabethMay & @kennedystewart were just arrested on #BurnabyMountain taking action to #ProtectTheInlet & #StopKM. pic.twitter.com/n9B2wutFYl

— 350 Canada (@350Canada) March 23, 2018

Burnaby South MP @kennedystewart is at the Trans Mountain terminal with @ElizabethMay #stopkm #kindermorgan #bcpoli #cdnpoli @BurnabyNOW_News pic.twitter.com/bAE7qKivzm

— Lauren Boothby (@laurby) March 23, 2018

https://twitter.com/GabbyGelderman/statuses/977205823171543041

“Kinder Morgan does not have consent for this project,” said Anna Gerrard, an activist with Climate Justice Edmonton who participated in a sit-in at Kinder Morgan Canada’s downtown Calgary office on Friday. “Second to this, our ability to proceed with a national climate strategy should not be negotiated around the construction of a massive fossil fuel project.”

“We’re standing in support of Indigenous autonomy,” Gerrard added. “We believe that it’s time for a new narrative in this country; one that is not dictated by Big Oil but instead supports life and the much-needed healing of the land and people.”

Below is a glimpse of just some of the took place throughout Canada on Friday:

Dozens of #KinderMorgan protesters gathered outside #Vancouver office of federal cabinet minister Jody Wilson-Raybould @Puglaas. Drivers passing by have been honking in support. pic.twitter.com/aMldq5UMF7

— Marcella Bernardo (@MBernardoNews) March 23, 2018

Today folks from #Ottawa and cities across Canada are making their voices heard loud and clear: Kinder Morgan will not be built!#StopKM #DefendTheWater #ProtectTheInlet #cndpoli pic.twitter.com/SuiJ5BlhqL

— Julia Levin (@lev_jf) March 23, 2018

The @CouncilofCDNs @cocvic chapter and allies called on @MurrayRankin today to #DefendTheWater and #StopKM! pic.twitter.com/SDHg5GswPs

— Brent Patterson (@CBrentPatterson) March 23, 2018

National Day of Action #defendthewater – Wellington County residents gather in front of Wellington-Halton Hills MP Michael Chong’s Fergus office to protest the Kinder Morgan pipeline in BC. pic.twitter.com/lDIcqgsyhy

— WellingtonAdvertiser (@WellyAdvertiser) March 23, 2018

Overflowing in MP @AnthonyRota's North Bay office to #DefendTheWater and #StopKM — Delivered a jar of water as part of today's National Day of Action to tell @JustinTrudeau and @cathmckenna to not push through the #KinderMorgan pipeline. Solidarity from Ontario. pic.twitter.com/tPGMsicdbp

— Yan of Piebird Ⓥ (@yan_piebird) March 23, 2018

Reposted with permission from our media associate Common Dreams.