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NEWS: City proposes to cut affordable housing /A3 ARTS: Label supports musicians, community /A14 SPORTS: Vikes pointguard from the past /A21
VICTORIANEWS VICTORIA Wednesday, October 24, 2012
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Protesters denounce pipelines Thousands rally at legislature to protect B.C.’s environment Roszan Holmen and Tim Collins
of First Nations groups, unions and environmental News staff organizations. Some watched quietly, Sitting on the steps of while others cheered the legislature, away from and chanted, and waved the thick of the protest, placards while wearing Samantha Sansregret elaborate costumes. surveyed the crowd With the help of three gathered Monday to friends, Leona Marchand protest the threat of tar navigated the crowd as sands, oil tankers and oil the body of an enormous pipelines. blue puppet representing “I think we should Mother Earth. be good “I made ancestors the dress “We should be and think last night,” about future Marchand good ancestors and generations,” said, barely think about future said the visible soft-spoken through generations. (Oil) Metis woman the blue spills are inevitable.” polyester who lives in Victoria, – Samantha Sansregret costume. her drum in “I’m here to hand. “Spills represent the are inevitable.” earth and how important Sansregret was one of she is to all of us.” an estimated 3,000 people Among the last to speak, who travelled to the B.C. Green Party leader and legislature to participate Saanich-Gulf Islands MP in the Defend Our Coast Elizabeth May whipped the protest, led by a coalition crowd into a frenzy.
Sharon Tiffin/News staff
Twelve-year-old Linnea Burke joins thousands of protesters chanting at the Defend Our Coast demonstration on the lawn of the B.C. legislature on Monday. “Today the Fraser Institute issued a report saying we need to drill for oil and gas,” she said. “They’re addicted to fossil fuels. … When you have a friend with an addiction, you need an intervention and we are the intervention!” In what was billed as a massive act of civil disobedience, more than 200 people helped to unfold a giant, black fabric banner and staked it into the legislature lawn. Stretching 235 metres, it
equalled the length of a super tanker. Marcus Waddington, a retired teacher, was third in line to lead the march. “We’re prepared to go to jail,” he said, echoing the sentiments of many protesters. It was thought that staking the banner into the ground could incite police to start arresting protesters, however members from the Victoria Police Department simply watched the event from a distance.
The police will only get involved if people hurt others or vandalize property, said one officer. “We’re not here to cause a riot,” added another. While the conclusion to Monday’s protest may have been anti-climatic for many who prepared for arrest, the protest continues across the province today (Oct. 24). MLA Ida Chong’s constituency office will be the site of a protest Wednesday, intended to drive home opposition to
the Enbridge and Kinder Morgan pipeline proposals. Celine Trojand, spokesperson for the Defend Our Coast coalition, said protesters will link arms in front of Chong’s office to show an “unbroken wall of opposition” to Enbridge. “She’s the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and this is important to them (First Nations people),” Trojand said. PLEASE SEE: Chong, Page A19
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