At least five arrests have been made Tuesday after a group of environmental protesters blocked a ship from entering the Port of Vancouver.
Environmental activist groups Portland Rising Tide and Mosquito Fleet blocked a ship containing pipeline for the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion project in Canada as five climbers locked themselves to the dock where the shipment is to be off-loaded.
"I'm here because tar sands crude transported by the Trans Mountain Expansion project would require three times more water for extracting and refining and would release 15% more greenhouse gas per gallon of gasoline when compared with conventional oil," Portland Rising Tide activist Rachel Walsh said.
"We are also taking action in solidarity with Fort McKay First Nations who are suing the Alberta government because tar sands expansion threatens sacred land that the government promised to protect."
Activists with Portland Rising Tide and the Mosquito Fleet prevent the bulk carrier Patagonia from docking at the Port of Vancouver, Wash., on November 5, 2019.
Alex Milan Tracy / Sipa USA/AP
According to Vancouver Police the five arrested were booked for criminal trespass, failure to disperse and obstruction.
Port of Vancouver Director of Communications Heather Stebbings said operations had been impacted, but no workers had been sent home as a result.
“Safety and security are our top priorities of the port. We have a responsibility as a port to move cargo for our customers and tenants. We handle a range of commodities from wind turbines and steel slabs to autos and grains,” Stebbings said.
This is the latest in a series of attempts made to block shipments for the controversial crude oil pipeline project.