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More pipeline protesters arrested day after jail sentences

Two more pipeline protesters were arrested for violating a B.C Supreme Court injunction meant to prevent interference with work on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.

The seniors have not been deterred.

That was the message heard outside Kinder Morgan’s Westridge marine terminal Wednesday morning, as two more pipeline protesters were arrested for violating a B.C Supreme Court injunction meant to prevent interference with work on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.

The two women sat in chairs and blocked the gates to the facility less than 24 hours after a judge sent two senior women to jail for similar actions earlier this year. A Crown lawyer had argued seniors are “the population that must be deterred” from further violations of the injunction.

“When I heard about this older woman getting jail time, that’s when I decided to sacrifice myself as well,” said Ruth Campbell after she was released from police custody on a promise to appear in court. Campbell did not give her name, but said she too is a senior.

 Ruth Campbell and Noaa Edwards block the road to Trans Mountain's Westridge Marine Terminal during an anti-pipeline protest Wednesday morning.Ruth Campbell and Noaa Edwards block the road to Trans Mountain’s Westridge Marine Terminal during an anti-pipeline protest Wednesday morning. Photograph By KELVIN GAWLEY

The retired lawyer said she felt compelled to join the anti-pipeline movement in order to stop climate change and protect wildlife.

Campbell said it was her first time being arrested.

“I didn’t think I would ever go through with it,” she said. “I wanted to cry, but I’m here, I haven’t cried yet and it’s just something I wanted to do.”

Campbell said she volunteered herself to be arrested because she has less to lose than a younger person.

“Right now, there aren’t any terrible consequences for me going to jail and someone who’s 20 years old would have to carry that for a long time,” she said.

Campbell was arrested alongside fellow protester Noaa Edwards, who said they (Edwards uses they/them pronouns) violated the injunction in order to support Indigenous land rights.

Both Campbell and Edwards face charges of contempt of court and could face up to 14 days in jail. They joined the ranks of more than 200 people who have been arrested for violating the injunction.

In addition to blocking trucks from entering the Westridge terminal for several hours, the anti-pipeline protesters sent a message, according to Protect the Inlet spokesperson Jacqueline Lee-Tan.

“We’ve seen that no matter how much the Crown ups sentencing, people are doing whatever it takes and sacrificing whatever they need to sacrifice to stop this pipeline,” she said. “Today has been yet another day showing the continued and solid opposition to this pipeline and the buyout of this pipeline.”

Asked what it would take for protesters to stop violating the injunction, Lee-Tan said: “That’s a question for the people and from what it looks like, people will sacrifice whatever they need to sacrifice to stop this pipeline from getting built.”

“There will be ongoing opposition. There will be more bold action.”

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