Burnaby South MP Kennedy Stewart and Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May have been arrested during the ongoing protests at the Trans Mountain terminal in Burnaby today.
Stewart and May stood at the gates Friday, risking arrest with 16 others within the five-metre zone covered by the B.C. Supreme Court injunction. Stewart said he felt compelled to intervene because his constituents do not want the pipeline to be built.
"I'm here crossing the injunction line to stand with my constituents to amplify their voices to make sure that Trudeau hears loud and clear this pipeline does not have consent here in Burnaby," he told the NOW prior to his arrest. "I am risking arrest, I am prepared to be arrested, I hope it doesn’t come to that but it does seem been so far."
May said she was protesting to fulfill campaign promises that she would oppose the pipeline.
"It's not common, but it is a respectable and justifiable action in rare circumstances such as in this one," she said. "If you ask me who the trespassers are on this land, they're the ones from Texas."
Meanwhile, another protest took place today outside Liberal MP Terry Beech’s constituency office on Hastings Street, led by Burnaby Residents Opposing Kinder Morgan Expansion (BROKE). The protest is one of many across Canada today as part of the Defend the Water action organized by Lead Now, where protesters will bring samples of water contaminated by oil to local MP constituency offices.
Beech is currently in Ottawa for a vote regarding the budget, according to his local constituency office. He could not be reached for comment. Stewart flew back to Burnaby Thursday evening from Ottawa to participate in the protest.
Karl Perrin, a member of BROKE, said the group is targeting Beech’s office because, as a Liberal MP, he may have influence over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“Terry Beech is still on the fence, but he’s still there on the fence, so he’s basically agreeing with Trudeau, even though he says otherwise,” Perrin said.
Protesters also gathered outside New Westminster-Burnaby NDP MP Peter Julian’s office this afternoon.
