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PHOTOS: Solidarity in Prince Albert for Mi’kmaq demonstrators

Oct 18, 2013 | 6:50 PM

There were signs waving and horns honking on the corner of 15th Street West and Second Avenue in Prince Albert.

By 5 p.m. Friday afternoon around 40 people gathered to show solidarity with the Mi'kmaq (First Nations people indigenous to Canada's Maritime provinces) demonstrators from the Elsipogtog First Nation.

“People are just coming together in Prince Albert to stand in solidarity with what’s happening in New Brunswick with the reserve and just to show that people actually still care what’s happening in this country in Prince Albert,” said organizer of the solidarity demonstration Shawn Generoux, as he held a sign that read ‘Stop Fracking’.

This act of solidarity is in reaction to a protest on Thursday in eastern New Brunswick where 40 people were arrested after making a demonstration against controversial shale exploration, known as fracking, by SWN Resources.

On that day New Brunswick RCMP said several shots were fired from within the protest encampment, Molotov-style explosives were thrown at police, six RCMP vehicles were destroyed by fire and several improvised explosive devices were found.

“The weapons and explosives we seized show that this was no longer a peaceful protest and there was a serious threat to public safety. We took the action necessary to address that threat,” said New Brunswick RCMP Commanding Officer Assistant Commissioner Roger Brown in a news release.

However, these actions taken against the Mi’kmaq demonstrators is something that Generoux said he sees too often.

“As a First Nations man I felt like it’s the usual; the status quo that the government and the RCMP pull against our people. And I’m not saying that we should be against the RCMP or the government but I’m saying that we really have to re-look at what this country goes through with the First Nations people,” Generoux said, citing several incidents over history when the government clashed with First Nations people.

For one of the supporters at the Prince Albert demonstration, Cheyenne Longman, the actions taken by the RCMP in New Brunswick showed an overuse of force that wasn’t unnecessary.

“I am against the fracking that’s going on in New Brunswick and I’m also going against the violence that’s going on against my people who are peacefully protesting,” Longman said

“I would like to see [the RCMP] at least be peaceful about it and not harm people and try to act a little civilized and actually talk about what needs to happen and what can happen to overcome this because it is stopping a lot of the business going on because the roads are blocked off [in New Brunswick].”

Longman said it’s important to have events like the one in Prince Albert showing support and solidarity for the anti-fracking protests because it’s dangerous to the environment and can happen anywhere in Canada.

Fracking, also called hydraulic fracturing, is the process of removing natural gas from shale rock layers deep within the earth by injecting highly pressurized fracking fluids into the shale area.

“It’s going to affect the clean water and the environment,” she said about fracking. “It’s the only earth we have and we have to protect it.”

Disa Amyotte was one of the first supporters who was at the busy intersection showing support.  For her the issue of fracking isn’t an indigenous problem, but an environmental one.

“Fracking is very controversial … there’s a lot of people saying it’s not good because it poisons the water, the drinking water that people have. It pollutes the wells, the private wells [and] it’s just not safe,” Amyotte said holding her sign up high for passersby to see.

Longman, Generoux and Amyotte said they would all like to see the same thing—SWN Resources stop seismic testing and leave the province.

“I want them to stop fracking. It’s dangerous. It’s shouldn’t even be allowed,” Amyotte said.

Prince Albert was just one of several communities across Canada that staged the peaceful act of support.

sstone@panow.com

On Twitter: @sarahstone84