Burnaby RCMP have arrested six protesters in four days in the week leading up to a major demonstration planned Saturday against Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
The latest arrests came on Thursday, after police were called to the 8000 block of Shellmont Street near the energy company’s Burnaby Mountain tank farm at 9:45 a.m. for reports a woman had chained herself to a tree located in a work zone, according to Burnaby RCMP.
Police say the protester was joined by two other women who held on to the chains and also allegedly refused to leave the area.
The women were arrested for mischief.
A day earlier, a man had been arrested in the area for mischief after he chained himself to a tree in a work area at about 10 a.m. and allegedly refused to unchain himself, according to police.
“By going into the work zone, these demonstrators put themselves, responding police officers and workers on the site at risk of injury,” states a Burnaby RCMP press release. “Burnaby RCMP would like to take this moment to remind those who are involved in ongoing demonstrations that police are an impartial party and are there to ensure the safety of everyone involved.”
Local Mounties had already arrested a 47-year-old woman Tuesday for not moving off the road leading into the Kinder Morgan’s Westridge Marine Terminal on Bayview Drive, and a 25-year-old man on Monday after he climbed atop a loaded semi-trailer and briefly evaded police by running along on top of it.
