A protest against fracking in Eastern New Brunswick has turned violent after Canadian mounted police with assault rifles and camouflage uniforms turned up to enforce a court order to remove a barricade set up by the Elsipogtog and Mi'kmaq First Nations tribes (indigenous Canadians).They pepper sprayed dozens of people, used rubber bullets, sets dogs on people, and fired high powered hoses The protesters responded by throwing petrol bombs and setting fire to five police vehicles.
Over 40 arrests were made and. It is alleged that at least one shot was fired at the police and security goons, and that a small incendiary device was found nearby. The police told the protesters that - “Crown lands belong to the government, not to fucking natives.”
The road blockade had been set up several weeks ago to prevent a fracking company from moving their machinery around. Extra police had been drafted in to enforce the injunction following threats of violence against security goons hired by the fracking bosses. As a precaution local schools had been closed for the day and many local roads diverted away from the protest.
The media have been kept several hundred feet away from the incident so the limited report, pictures and footage is coming from the protesters.
A spokesperson for the protesters said that:
“We’ve tried to speak to politicians, we’ve petitioned, we’ve marched on the legislature, we’ve done everything that we should be doing and Alward and his government just keep saying they have a mandate. I don’t know who he got it from, it sure wasn’t the people of New Brunswick,"
The First Nations tribes are concerned that their drinking water will be contaminated by chemicals used in the fracking process. As you would expect, the government does not give a fuck.
Solidarity!
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There's footage and photos on
There's footage and photos on twitter hashtags:
#Elsipogtog and #idlenomore