WATCH: Protesters against Chevron’s planned pipeline in northern BC and operations in Ecuador recently videotaped themselves vandalizing the company’s pumps at Metro Vancouver gas stations. Jas Johal has the story.
Police are looking into a video showing a group protesting Chevron’s planned Pacific Trail pipeline in northern B.C. by vandalizing five gas stations in Vancouver and Burnaby last month.
The video posted online to YouTube shows individuals in dark clothing, orange vests with masks covering their noses and mouths; removing hoses from fuel dispensers, placing them on the ground and tying them together with chains and bike locks. It’s believed the incident happened sometime between 3 and 5:30 a.m.
“The employees that were working, they didn’t quite know who these people were,” says Vancouver Police Cst. Brian Montague. “They were dressed almost like construction workers.”
In total 80 pumps at five gas stations in Vancouver and Burnaby were tampered with and disabled for a short period time.
The video also shows the Unist’ot’en aboriginal protest camp near Smithers, B.C. and alleged pollution of the Ecuadorian Amazon by Chevron subsidiary Texaco. The Unist’ot’en have vowed to block construction of the Pacific Trail Pipeline, Chevron’s proposed 463 km project to carry natural gas from north of Prince George to its proposed LNG plant in Kitimat.
“The Pacific Trail Pipeline is also in partnership with First Nations,” Chevron spokesperson Gillian Robinson told Global News. “Fifteen of 16 First Nations along the proposed pipeline route are partners in the project and have entered into the First Nations limited partnership agreement with Chevron. We’ve been speaking to the 16th First Nation and been in discussions with them.”
The debate surrounding natural resource development is heightened in B.C. due to talk about oil pipelines, LNG plants, and coal exports.
Earlier this year, activists chained themselves to Chevron’s refinery in Burnaby, and last year anti-fracking protesters set up a mock rig on the front lawn of Premier Christy Clark’s home. In June, police raided an east Vancouver home as part of an investigation into the spate of anti-pipeline graffiti around the city.
~ with files from Jas Johal
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