“This has not been an easy week,” said Lynne Quarmby to a crowd of people on Burnaby Mountain.
“If it wasn’t for the depth of support for what we’re doing, they would have squashed us like ants a long time ago. So you guys are making all the difference.”
A long and often tense week for those protesting Kinder Morgan’s pipeline ended with a laid-back concert, near the site where demonstrators have been blocking the energy company’s attempts to do survey work for the past 11 days.
READ MORE: Protesters stop Kinder Morgan work on mountain
The event was free, but attendees were encouraged to donate to a fund set up to pay for legal costs after Kinder Morgan took some of the protesters to court.
“We realize this is going to be a long fight,” said Joe Keithley of D.O.A., who was one of the performers Saturday. “Kinder Morgan is not going to give up easily, they have lots of resources.”
Kinder Morgan has asked for an injunction against the protesters, along with damages and costs in a civil lawsuit over what it claims is trespass, assault and intimidation by protesters who chased away workers.
Arguments were heard in court this week, with Kinder Morgan’s lawyer claiming, among other things, that the facial expressions of some protesters could be considered assault – sparking a satirical social media campaign.
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Lynne Quarmby, an SFU professor and one of the demonstrators taken to court, says the entire experience has been an eye opener.
“For years I put lots of energy into doing it all the right way,” she said.
“Going to peaceful protests, organized and contained. Writing letters, meeting with politicians, meeting with my MLA, meeting with my MP. I put a lot of energy into that. I think the folks making the decisions just love that, because they don’t have to listen, and it’s clear they haven’t been listening.
“We got their attention this week, by putting our bodies and standing right where the action wanted to be. It’s not the way I want to work…but after years of being ignored, I’m doing what I have to do. It’s the right thing to do, it’s important.”
A ruling is expected to be made on November 17.
But today, the focus was on music.
“Music always lift people’s spirits,” said Keithley.
“We think we can make a dent, keep spirits up, and keep the fight going.”
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