12 Arrested Today while Blocking Fracking Equipment "We've made our sacred fire. We're going to stand our ground here."

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Published on Friday, 14 June 2013 10:32

Written by mic

• BY MILES HOWE - June 11th - http://halifax.mediacoop.ca

Sacred fire is lit at junction of highways 126 and 116 west. [Photo: M. Howe]

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ELSIPOGTOG, NEW BRUNSWICK – A sacred fire, which must burn continuously and be monitored for four days, has been lit by Mi'kmaq peoples from all corners of traditional Mi'kma'ki, who have gathered in the New Brunswick community of Elsipogtog. They, as well as non-Indigenous peoples from the local communities and beyond, have now begun to congregate in a field – with permission given by the owner – adjacent to the junction of highway 126 and highway 116 west.

The gathering, which now comprises about 40 people, is directly in the path of seismic testing trucks – or "thumpers" – that are conducting geological surveying on behalf of SWN Resources Canada. SWN is exploring for shale gas deposits. Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples worry that the seismic testing will lead to hydraulic fracturing – or fracking – of Kent County, much of which is under exploratory lease to SWN.

Elsipogotg war chief John Levi has noted that the gathering will remain peaceful, but that the seismic testing will not be allowed to continue past the sacred fire.

"We're not going to let them pass. This is the reason why we've set up," Levi told the Halifax Media Co-op. "We've made our sacred fire. We're going to stand our ground here. This would be the spot here, so we're asking for support from all non-Native and Native peoples."

SWN avoids confrontation, community finds cause for celebration

Without RCMP escort, gas exploration company tucks trucks in early

• BY MILES HOWE - June 13th - http://halifax.mediacoop.ca

Drumming in the sun at the sacred fire on highway 126. [Photo: M. Howe]

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Mi'kmaq Women Hold Press Conference After Mischief Charges

ELSIPOGTOG, NEW BRUNSWICK – With SWN Resources Canada’s seismic testing trucks only about 5 kilometres away, and with geo-testing equipment scattered for miles along highway 126, today was a day filled with variables at the sacred fire encampment that has sprung up at the junction of highways 126 and 116 west in Kent County, New Brunswick.

• - coming from across New Brunswick and beyond - have provided a heavy-handed escort for SWN’s equipment in the preceding days, and, given the previous arrests of numerous people opposed to SWN’s presence, there was the real potential for a stand-off today at the junction, where Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples had gathered.

A typical day of work has seen the seismic trucks, or ‘thumpers’, advance approximately 6-8 kilometres per day, and many expected the work crews and their trucks to reach the junction today. Many in today’s assembled crowd of approximately 150 people also noted their willingness to be peacefully arrested.

But today there was a conspicuous absence of RCMP guarding SWN’s equipment. Eyewitness reports vary between two and four cruisers along highway 126, a far cry from the 10 to 20 cruisers, paddy wagons and unmarked cars, along with the dozens of foot police that had descended upon the area earlier in the week.

There is a history of shale gas resistance in New Brunswick that includes blockades, seizures and destruction of gas exploration company equipment, and, without their RCMP escort, it would appear that SWN chose not to risk the potential of confrontation, even a peaceful one, at the junction. The thumpers stopped working for the day at approximately 1 p.m., long before they ever reached the sacred fire and the assembled crowd.

As of press time the four operational thumpers were parked approximately 15 kilometres north of the junction in a private field. SWN could not be reached for comment.

It may be that the RCMP’s sudden disappearance is related to a press release issued yesterday from the co-chairs of the Assembly of First Nations Chiefs New Brunswick. The release “call[s] for restraint by the police, government and SWN resources. They are requesting those groups respect the protesters and their concerns about the development and exploration of shale gas in the province, including seismic testing.”

Sources note, however, that the Irishtown, New Brunswick, community centre continues to act as a make-shift headquarters for a ballooned RCMP force that now includes about 30 vehicles.

For the moment though, those gathered at the sacred fire are counting today's SWN's stand-down as a victory, if only a temporary one. Drumming, dancing, food and good weather lent a calm and jovial mood to what might possibly have been a day of mass arrest.

12 arrests made at sunrise ceremony, SWN seismic trucks pass sacred fire

Community members now wait for release of arrested

• BY MILES HOWE - June 13th - http://halifax.mediacoop.ca

Ron Tremblay, holding sacred pipe, is arrested. Photo courtesy of @1tnb

MONCTON, NEW BRUNSWICK - SWN seismic trucks, flanked again by an escort of RCMP guards, today pushed past the junction of highways 126 and 116 west, in Kent County, New Brunswick. At approximately 7:45 am, with far fewer people at the encampment - and in the middle of a sunrise ceremony - RCMP quickly arrested 11 people who had physically blocked the road against the seismic truck procession, and refused to move. Supporters are currently waiting for their release.

RCMP had earlier in the morning blocked off all access to the sacred fire encampment, turning away supporters attempting to rush to the scene.

Update: The number of arrests has been confirmed at 12.

They are:

Maxime Daigle, Rachel Daigle, Dallas McQuarrie, Susan McQuarrie, Ron Tremblay, Angela Beek, Tom Nash, Mark Darcy, Oasogootesg, Kathy Levi, Eugene Sock, Star Augustine.

Supporters are currently attempting to determine the wherabouts of Dallas McQuarrie, Susan McQuarrie, Angela Beek and Tom Nash. If you know these people and can confirm that they have either been released or remain in custody, please post to the

facebook group: Shale Gas Alerts New Brunswick.