Dam Line 9 Protestors Emerge from Final Court Appearence

from Dam Line 9 April 20, 2015 Woodstock, Anishinabek Territory – This morning, five individuals involved in last summer’s “Dam Line 9” protest attended the Woodstock Court House for their final appearance.  The group faced charges of mishchief, obstruction and disobey court order following their refusal to leave a blockade site which was preventing construction on Enbridge’s Line 9 pipeline in August 2014.  Today marks the conclusion of related court proceedings for all protestors, with discharges being granted for four of the five individuals.  The fifth individual was given a suspended sentence with probation, having incurred additional charges from her involvement in previous anti-petroleum actions. Wrapping up 8 months of legal back-and-forth, the defendants insist that Line 9, and similar projects, still pose dangerous problems that require a strong challenge from people in Ontario and Quebec. “The tar sands and fracking are still lethal industrial projects,” said defendant Rachel Avery. “Line 9 represents the reach of tar sands destruction and expansion here in south western Ontario, so it’s a crucial point of environmental protection.” The activists agree that their experiences with Dam Line 9 were both important and educational. Avery pointed out that “Line 9 resistance has helped us build […]