Many people are aware of the epic ‘Northern Gateway’ pipeline project Enbridge is seeking to push through. A smaller but growing number are realizing that the Pacific Trails Pipeline (PTP) is already approved and go ing ahead. The PTP would increase the flow of liquid natural gas extracted through the highly destructive practice of ‘fracking’ in North Eastern BC for exportation to overseas markets.

Pacific Trails Must Fail

Contrubutions Towards an Uncompromising Opposition Against the PTP

Many people are aware of the epic ‘Northern Gateway’ pipeline project Enbridge is seeking to push through. A smaller but growing number are realizing that the Pacific Trails Pipeline (PTP) is already approved and go ing ahead. The PTP would increase the flow of liquid natural gas extracted through the highly destructive practice of ‘fracking’ in North Eastern BC for exportation to overseas markets. If the PTP is not allowed to pass it would also be an assault on all the other pipeline plans that seek to follow along the PTP’s path, of which Enbridge is just one. Stopping this project is a major strike on the rapid development of further industrial projects that destroy the land. The PTP would also help to fuel the much larger ‘Pacific Gateway’ project, which is aimed at rapid acceleration of every kind of industrial expansion.

Grassroots traditional Wet’suwet’en people are at the forefront of resistance to the PTP (and therefore Enbridge, Kinder Morgan, Pacific Gateway, Etc…). Under the leadership of members of the Unis’tot’en Clan they have built a cabin in the path of the pipeline and have vowed to stand and stop the PTP along with all other pipeline projects. Since 2010, they’ve hosted 3 annual summer action camps to connect with other grassroots land defenders and step up resistance.

BC Blackout is an informal group of anarchists that came about after we attended the second annual ‘Unis’tot’en Action Camp’ in August 2011. Most of us involved were also heavily influenced by our experience in a three week blockade/camp against the South Frasier Perimiter Road (a major artery being expanded for ‘Pacific Gateway’) in a suburb of Vancouver called North Delta April/May 2011.

The struggle to protect the land is one with the struggle to free ourselves from wage slavery and the state. We recognize no distinction between the two. We are land defenders and social rebels at the same time. We are focused on resisting industrial expansion through the lens of anti colonial insurrectionary subsistence*

While always keeping the larger picture in mind, the specific motivation for the BC Blackout group at the moment is to contribute to stopping the PTP and contributing to solidarity with other battles related to destroying the ‘Pacific Gateway’ plan. For the last year we’ve been developing our analysis and strategy and doing our best to respond to the call made by our Wet’suwet’en comrades which we take very seriously.

In November shortly after the second Unis’tot’en action camp, others organized an ‘Indigenous Assembly Against Mining and Pipelines’. This coincided with a major conference of Mining companies and sell outs focusing on gaining indigenous collaboration. Mel Bazil, a Gitxsan/Wet’suwet’en warrior and anarchist was present at this assembly and spoke about the PTP and the other pipelines, the impending stand off, and their determination to not give in. We participated in an anarchist contingent at demo that was part of this assembly.

Shortly after this, a small group of traditional Wet’suwet’en people prevented PTP drillers from entering their territory. With this, our recently made friends directly confronted the company and demonstrated their commitment to being on the land and stopping the pipelines.

*see our website for more on this subject: http://bcblackout.wordpress.com