REXTON, N.B. – Shale gas protesters are standing defiant in the face of a court order to remove their barriers.
“Today we’re showing our hand and look… this is what we’re doing,” said Lorraince Clair. “We’re going to wait it out, and more people are coming,” added Pam Ross.
On Thursday, a Court of Queen’s Bench judge granted an order to take down their barricades. Several hours later, there were tense moments when a group of protesters approached the RCMP. The situation was so tense, RCMP blocked off access to the site.
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Despite the standoff, Lorraince Clair says they are committed to a peaceful protest. “This is not violence and we don’t want that to be portrayed out there — that’s not the whole story,” she said.
SWN Resources filed the order. Protesters have been peacefully holding up their equipment behind the barricade since Friday. The people say they’re worried about pollution related to shale gas development, and are now demanding a meeting with SWN and the province.
Now protesters are wondering what will happen next. The court order gives RCMP the authority to arrest anyone defying the order.
“I think people are just carrying on as before and making their statement very publicly and loudly that they are not interested in having this industry set up here,” said Denise Melanson.
Despite a heavy police presence, RCMP aren’t talking about moving in to remove the protesters.They say they’re committed to peaceful negotiations with people inside the roadblock. As for the protesters, they say they want to keep lines of communication open. “We are unified and we are standing strong,” said Clair.
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