Left: Rex Weyler, one of the founders of Greenpeace, joins an Indigenous-led blockade of Kinder Morgan’s pipeline construction site in British Columbia, Canada. Right: Melina Laboucan Massimo at the 10,000-person march in resistance to the same pipeline.
If a giant oil company threatened to build a dangerous pipeline through your backyard, what would you do? For these activists, the answer was simple — take action to stop it.
Yesterday, ten activists peacefully blocked the entrance to a Kinder Morgan construction site in Coast Salish territory near Vancouver, Canada for several hours. Their bold action further delayed the construction of a tar sands oil pipeline that would violate Indigenous rights, threaten clean air and water for thousands of people, and contribute to global climate change.
The singing has begun. They’re walking past the watch house and toward the terminal. #stopkm #protecttheinlet #kindermorgan #tranmountain #burnaby #vanpoli #bcpoli #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/CV9YJoHOo1
— Lauren Boothby (@laurby) March 19, 2018
One of those activists was Greenpeace founder Rex Weyler, who joined the action in solidarity with Indigenous communities to “preserve the ecological integrity of this coast for ourselves and future generations.”
.@Greenpeace started in 1971 to protect the ocean from the same types of threats Kinder Morgan is trying to bring to it today. We fought then, and we fight now. #ProtectThePacific #StopKM#climate #energy #cdnpoli #bcpoli #ProtectTheInlet pic.twitter.com/a4x1H5ghfe
— Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) March 19, 2018
He was joined by Barbara and Bob Stowe, the daughter and son of late Greenpeace founders Dorothy and Irving Stowe, who added, “if our parents were alive today, they’d be standing right here with us.”
From left to right: Nancy McLean, Barbara Stowe, Rex Wyler, and Bob Stowe join Indigenous activists to peacefully block the gates at Kinder Morgan’s pipeline construction site in British Columbia, Canada.
But Rex, Bob, Barbara, and their fellow activists who were arrested for standing up to Kinder Morgan yesterday are not alone.
Today’s blockade was just one in a series of inspiring acts of courage opposing Kinder Morgan’s destructive pipeline — and it certainly won’t be the last. Just over a week ago, more than 10,000 people joined a march and rally in solidarity with Indigenous communities to send a clear message of resistance to the oil industry.
Thousands gathered in British Columbia, Canada on March 10 for the Indigenous-led “Protect the Inlet” mobilization against the Kinder Morgan pipeline.
The movement to put people over pipelines is gaining momentum — but we still need you.
The March 10 “Protect the Inlet” mobilization was led by Tsleil Waututh spiritual and cultural leaders and included the building of a “watch house” grounded in the culture of the Coast Salish peoples.
Taking down the oil industry, protecting land and water, and defending Indigenous rights is no small task; we’re going to need everyone to step up.
Now is the time to join in solidarity with Indigenous land defenders: sign on to voice your resistance to Kinder Morgan and all tar sands oil pipelines today.
Supporters at the Indigenous-led March 19 blockade of a Kinder Morgan pipeline construction site in British Columbia, Canada.
Ryan Schleeter is a content editor for Greenpeace based in San Francisco, USA.
