Our sister publication, , is at the focal point of the Trans Mountain Expansion Pipeline project, with the terminus of the pipeline in that Lower Mainland community.
On March 17, . The Burnaby RCMP stepped in, enforcing a recently-imposed permanent court injunction on protests within five metres of the pipeline terminal entrance. We carried their story on听. More than one person pointed out the irony that they used oil-based plastic zip ties to protest an oil pipeline.
This happened on a Saturday. However, the story concluded by saying, 鈥淧rotests are expected to continue over the next week.鈥�
I imagine they will continue a lot longer than that. If the North Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests are any indication, they will last months, maybe years.
Thus, it was convenient for these 28 people to get arrested on a Saturday. Other people might go to the mall, take their kids to a school sporting tournament, or clean up their yard. These people chose to get arrested.
But what happens on Monday? Tuesday? And all the other days? Those who will protest, and do so to the point where they get arrested, how, exactly do they do that?
Most of us, you see, have jobs. And if you don鈥檛 have a job, you should probably be looking for one, especially given the cost of housing in the Lower Mainland. What do these people do in the morning when they drop off their kids at the sitter? How does that conversation go? 鈥淥h, hey, Susie, I might not be back today to pick up the kids, like at all. Yeah, I might be locked up overnight until my first appearance in court.
鈥淥h, today鈥檚 Friday, I might be held until court on Monday. Um, here鈥檚 a few more juice boxes to tide the kids over.鈥�
There has been a lot of talk about American big business, even in the energy business, financially backing these protests. I find that a little hard to believe, as I don鈥檛 think most of these earthmuffins are on any sort of payroll, at least to protest. I think they come by their idiocy and hypocrisy quite honestly.
That doesn鈥檛 mean to say there is no such thing as professional protesters. Ezra Levant, while he still had Sun News behind him, used to make great sport in pointing out the professional protesters who conveniently appeared at the events he went to rabble rouse at. I know of at least one academic in Saskatchewan, a tenured University of Regina professor, who seems to be at nearly every energy- or Indigenous-related protest in Regina. If it鈥檚 a social justice warrior cause, she鈥檚 likely there. I pointed out to her, at an oil conference, that her Facebook page showed how many numerous protests her baby had attended while she was on maternity leave.
And there was a lot of talk about a lot of the opposition to the Keystone XL project having backing from the folks who profit from crude-by-rail. I don鈥檛 know if that was rumour or reality.
So if you are a normal Joe or Jane Public, how do you go to a protest on a Tuesday, a normal working day for most folks? After telling your sitter, what do you tell your boss?
鈥淗i, Mr. Boss. I need to take today off. No, my kid鈥檚 not sick. He鈥檚 at the sitters. No, I don鈥檛 have a dental or doctor appointment. I want to protest a pipeline. Yes, the pipeline that delivers the fuel that goes in the trucks of our fleet to deliver our product. Yes, I know our product is made of plastic, which is made from hydrocarbons. I just want them to stop all pipelines, including that new one. It鈥檚 going to end the world, you know.
鈥淵es, I am paying for a sitter so I can protest a pipeline.
鈥淗ave I gone crazy? Well, I guess you could possibly consider this a mental health day.
鈥淐lean out my desk tomorrow? Whatever do you mean?鈥�
Maybe there is some credence to the notion people are 小蓝视频 paid to protest. How else would the above conversation take place?
鈥淢s. Underling, are you telling me you took holiday time to chain yourself to a bulldozer? That I am paying someone else overtime to fill in for your 鈥榝amily emergency?鈥欌��
It鈥檚 income tax season. Do you get a T4 for protesting? Or is it a deduction? I鈥檓 really not sure.
听
Brian Zinchuk is editor of Pipeline News. He can be reached at听[email protected].
