Protesters lock themselves to Washington port to block Trans Mountain pipeline shipment

A handful of protesters locked themselves to a dock at the Port of Vancouver in Washington State on Tuesday morning in a bid to stop a shipment meant for the Trans Mountain pipeline from getting to B.C.

According to the Portland Rising Tide, five protesters from Oregon and Washington climbed onto the dock with the help of dozens of kayakers and other boats, and prevented an incoming cargo ship, believed to be carrying materials for the Trans Mountain expansion, from docking for several hours.

Video posted by the activists at about 10:30 a.m. showed local police officers attempting to detain those on the dock.

Local police attempting to detain the protesters who had climbed the side of the dock (video again by Portland Rising Tide) pic.twitter.com/8vgcm6cbbi

— Ashley Wadhwani (@ashwadhwani) November 5, 2019

“This is not just a Canadian problem, but an American problem, too,” Cedar George-Parker, a member of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation on Burrard Inlet, said in a news release. “We need people in the U.S. to stand in solidarity and take action to stop this pipeline. The border will not divide us.”

This is the third protest targeting the port in recent months, after activists learned that pipe materials were being shipped to Washington, then transported by rail to B.C.

The expansion of the controversial project was approved for a second time in June, after the Federal Court of Appeal tore up the original approval last year due to insufficient environmental review and inadequate Indigenous consultations.

Protesters from Oregon & Washington are at the Port of Vancouver, WA this morning, where they have blocked a cargo chip carrying pipeline for the TMX expansion project. 5 people have locked themselves to the dock
Photos below: Portland Rising Tide. @BlackPressMedia more to come. pic.twitter.com/J7BVvW7DwW

— Ashley Wadhwani (@ashwadhwani) November 5, 2019