‘War with words’: Writers join latest fight against Trans Mountain pipeline
Posted August 25, 2018 6:24 pm.
Last Updated August 25, 2018 6:42 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
BURNABY (NEWS 1130) – Despite the rain, more than one hundred anti-pipeline protesters held a demonstration up on Burnaby Mountain on Saturday.
This time, the activists planned to use words to get their point across.
Bill Gaston is just one of the writers voicing his concerns about the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. He says in the past few weeks we’ve seen loud and physical protests, but adds this demonstration is different as poems were read and delivered to the Gates of Kinder Morgan’s tank farm.
“This is a gathering of writers who share the same concerns and want to voice their opinions with passion. That’s what this is about. We are doing three things with these poems and stories. We are reading the words and going to walk to the Kinder Morgan gates and hang them from trees. It’s a symbolic gesture. Then we are going to compile them into a nice, 200-page book and send them to the Prime Minister’s office.”
In addition to Justin Trudeau, the book of poems will also be sent to Premier John Horgan.
“Provincial politics are complicated by federal politics. In this case federal laws are trumping provincial laws, and there might not be a lot that our Premier can do. We know that at least publicly, he’s stated his opposition. If we send it to him, we hope it stiffens his mind a bit and see the arts community is against this.”
The protest is meant to be a peaceful one, but Gaston does expect some activists to be arrested by Burnaby RCMP for blocking the gates of the terminal.
“Most of us are here to protest peacefully. Some are here with the stated intention of getting arrested. There are a few and they’ve had ‘training’ so to speak, they know what they are in for. It’s not easy to be arrested. You have to block access to the site, stay there for a while, and the cops will come and arrest people. The people who want to get arrested will be arrested and suffer the consequences. Two weeks in jail, it’s no small thing.”
He insists the project is one that many in BC are wary of, and encourages people to come out and protest against the pipeline.
“I think it’d be great if more people spoke up. We know that BC is against this. It’d be nice if BC was a bit louder.”
