Kathleen Martens
APTN National News
It’s a growing grassroots response similar to that of the IdleNoMore movement. Groups across the country are mobilizing Thursday after violence broke out on the anti-fracking protest line in rural New Brunswick.
First Nations people across the country are being asked to show their support for Elsipogtog protesters fighting a protest injunction being enforced by the RCMP.
At least four RCMP cruisers were burned in Rexton, NB, as chaos rages following a raid by heavily-armed front line officers backed by a tactical unit including police dogs on a Mi’kmaq-led blockade that has trapped exploration vehicles belonging to a Houston-based firm conducting shale gas exploration in the province.
APTN’s Ossie Michelin is reporting that RCMP officers are using sporadic volleys of tear gas to disperse the crowd that gathered near the blockade site after news spread about the police raid. Michelin said it appears police have lost control of the situation with smoke from the burning cars and tear gas drifting into the air about increasingly volatile situation.
The officers were initially met Thursday morning by members of the Mi’kmaq Warrior Society which has anchored the barricades for over two weeks. Images have emerged showing a Molotov cocktail thrown at the RCMP officers as they approached one of the encampments at the site.
Officers fired rubber bullets in the woods around the barricade and the RCMP has arrested Elsipogtog Chief Arren Sock and some of his councillors who went to the blockade site in solidarity. All were later releaed.
Tensions were high on both sides as the raid unfolded.
“Crown land belongs to the government, not to fucking natives,” APTN’s Ossie Michelin heard one of the camouflaged officers involved in the raid shout to protestors.
“Go back where the fuck you came from,” shouted one of the activists at the scene.
Dramatic images of the blockade have flashed across social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.
Video shot by M’ikmaq Warrior member Suzanne Patles showed RCMP officers moving in with dogs.
Support for the protestors quickly spread across the country.
In Listuguj supporters blocked the Listuguj bridge and a section of Highway 6 near Caledonia was closed Thursday by supporters from Six Nations.
There were reportedly small shows of support in New York City and Washington, D.C. outside the Canadian consulates.
Supporters and activists are issuing the call for peaceful action through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. PowerShift.ca has the most up-to-date list of events and adding more as they crop up. People are already promising to gather and light sacred fires in major cities like Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Edmonton tonight.
The creators of IdleNoMore in Lethbridge, Alta., said via Twitter they wasted no time in getting a group together to march down the city’s main drag Thursday afternoon. Its hashtag was popping up on Twitter alongside #ElsipogtogSolidarity.
Events are planned for the West Coast tomorrow.
More to come.
Having children at those protests are putting children at risk – that is child endangerment and CFS should take a look at that. They take children from others for less. Protect the waters – endanger the children?? What is the sense in that?
Support even spread overseas. I undersigned at LeadNow.ca and Idle No More. It´s a shame to the Government how the Government treats First Nations. So keep calm and move on.
Best regards to all First Nations. A feather for peace and freedom!
The cops set their own cruisers on fire to make a case against first nations…nice try steve see right through your bs
Not everyone is willing to sacrifice their water land and future of their grandchildren on the alter of economic growth or sell their souls exchange for a hand-full of high-paying soul-destroying jobs and a tank-full of gas.
You guys are comical,I have need seen such a one side racist publication…lit a man on fire really? please provide your source for this.
This is a great article..but are you getting video on this? I need to see this for my own eyes…not just stills and words. I want to share this information right away (!) but video is going to have a much bigger impact on my friends and family.
Stand behind those we should be standing beside, thank you for valuing the environment over money. Prayers for all involved,
Why can’t you start off the story, how it started first thing this morning? That RCMP crept into the camps and lit a man on fire and instigated today’s events? Failure to report facts! I thought only Mainstream Media perfected that tactic.
Thank you for the actual real info on what’s happening there….
I hope you don’t mind, I just quoted you…..
Omg Cheryl, is this true?
That is bogus!
We got to show our support for the East cost i know i’ll be there or them my in-laws are there in Elsipogtog N.B
It’s wearepowershift.ca/fracking that has the list of solidarity events, not powershift.ca
Thanks! The reporter who did this story needs to update their info!
Show support by March’s, Rally’s, Boycot’s store’s, gas stations , gather with families rather then go out to spend money.