Protesters climb on English Bay Barge to decry Trans Mountain pipeline expansion (VIDEO)
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Several climate protesters climbed aboard the English Bay Barge Friday morning to call for a stop to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
The demonstrators donned rock climbing harnesses and used ropes to scale the hull up to the barge’s deck, which has been stuck on the rocks at Sunset Beach ever since it blew in during a record-breaking atmospheric river in November.
The demonstrators hung banners calling on the federal government to stop its twinning of the existing Trans Mountain pipeline that transports crude oil from Alberta to port in Burnaby.
stand.earth/submitted
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“What if this was an oil spill?” one banner read, referring to the risk of a spill in English Bay when tanker traffic increases to accept the higher volume of oil coming out of the twinned pipeline.
According to a news release from Stand.earth, the demonstrators believe the risk of an oil spill is too great. The pipeline project will triple Trans Mountain’s capacity, and result in many more tankers coming in and out of Vancouver’s port every day — and many climate-minded individuals are concerned about the possibility of a spill from one of those boats.
Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin said some officers were making their way to Sunset Beach to monitor the situation. No arrests have been announced yet.
The English Bay barge has been sitting on the rocks for six months now. There have been several failed attempts to remove it with tug boats, and authorities now plan to cut up the ship and remove it piece by piece. It’s not known when deconstruction will begin.