DAM LINE 9 PROTESTORS EMERGE FROM FINAL COURT APPEARANCE
DAM LINE 9 PROTESTORS EMERGE FROM FINAL COURT APPEARANCE
Woodstock, Anishinabek Territory – This morning, five individuals involved in last summer's “Dam Line 9” protest attended the Woodstock Court House for their final appearance. The group faced charges of mishchief, obstruction and disobey court order following their refusal to leave a blockade site which was preventing construction on Enbridge's Line 9 pipeline in August 2014. Today marks the conclusion of related court proceedings for all protestors, with discharges being granted for four of the five individuals. The fifth individual was given a suspended sentence with probation, having incurred additional charges from her involvement in previous anti-petroleum actions.
Wrapping up 8 months of legal back-and-forth, the defendants insist that Line 9, and similar projects, still pose dangerous problems that require a strong challenge from people in Ontario and Quebec. “The tar sands and fracking are still lethal industrial projects,” said defendant Rachel Avery. “Line 9 represents the reach of tar sands destruction and expansion here in south western Ontario, so it's a crucial point of environmental protection.”
The activists agree that their experiences with Dam Line 9 were both important and educational. Avery pointed out that “Line 9 resistance has helped us build connections, communities, and relationships in struggle and we will to continue that work. We aren't done fighting!”
Moving forward, all five protestors emphasized the high importance of connecting environmental activism with Indigenous sovereignty as well as other social justice work. Wolf Chrapko elaborated that “colonialism is the driving force behind these issues. Dangerous projects almost always cause the most damage to Indigenous territories and immigrant communities, because rich white people don't want to live near their own industrial sites. So people of colour end up getting punished for defending their homes and lands. We all walked out of court today with minimal legal consequences, and the fact that we are all white plays a huge role in that.” The activists went on to say that race and class privilege are important tools for environmentalists to use strategically. “Every contribution is valuable, whether it's painting a banner or helping a neighbour cook dinner,” says Erica Rathie. “We aren't saying that everyone needs to get arrested at a protest to make change. It's safer for me to put myself in that situation for lots of reasons. I know the police won't racially profile me, I don't have kids, I haven't been targeted for petty crimes in the past, and things like that. Because of my privilege, getting arrested last summer hasn't created big problems in my life, but that's not true for everyone.”
All told, everyone agreed that their experiences with the police and court have not distracted them from their goals. “The wins against pipelines across the continent are inspiring, and they add up,” said Avery. Trish Mills summarized her views simply, echoing the overall message from all the defendants: "I've been able to face the outcomes of my actions with relative ease due to privilege and community support, which are advantages I wish everyone struggling against the system could access. But the reality is that whatever the consequences I face - now or in the future - I believe in what I'm doing. I can't regret working to stop a pipeline project that will contribute to tar sands expansion. I regret nothing, and I won't stop now.”
