25 June 2013, 4 people are locked down at the Enbridge Pump Station near Hamilton, Ontario.
We are appalled that Enbridge is attempting to resolve this situation with an injunction when we know that this conflict is rooted in their refusal to meaningfully consult and seek consent from impacted communities. First, Enbridge tried accomplishing this reversal through stealth, then through trickery, and now, finally, they are trying to do it through force.
Trish Mills is one of the individuals currently contained within the structure. She issued the following quote this morning:
“This isn’t Enbridge’s land to order us off of. It’s stolen. Even if it wasn’t, this company and this industry exploit and destroy land. It is our responsibility to stop this exploitation. While a spill might not be on purpose, when it does happen — 1 every 5 days — they look at it only as a monetary figure; I look at it as the irreversible massacre of an ecosystem.”
Another individual named Sigrid, who is seated on top of the barricade, has issued the following statement:
“I’m doing this because I have to, for the future. Because someone has to do something now.”
Swamp Line 9 was started by a group of 60 regional activists concerned with the Line 9 pipeline expansion. Over the past 6 days it has caught the attention of activists and tar sands resisters across Turtle Island and become part of something much bigger.
Since taking this site last Thursday, we have seen Enbridge spill 750 barrels of oil into a fresh water stream in Northern Alberta. To the East we have seen a brutal police crackdown on anti-fracking protestors in New Brunswick. Our struggle here in Westover is part of a broader picture. We stand in solidarity with all communities who are resisting against endless resource extraction and the destruction that these companies cause.
2 of 3 people locked inside the barricade
Today’s country-wide day of solidarity has been declared as the first official action of the Sovereignty Summer called for by Idle No More and Defenders of the Land; Enbridge’s Westover Terminal is on the territory of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and there have been individuals from 6 Nations on site all week. We demand that Enbridge acknowledge this land as Haudenosaunee territory, and that no construction can take place until they have received free, prior, and informed consent from the Confederacy.