Cory Morgan: Pipeline Protesters’ Violent Attacks in BC a Ticking Time Bomb

Damaged heavy machinery is shown near Houston, B.C., after a violent attack against equipment and workers building the Coastal GasLink pipeline, in this Feb. 17, 2022, RCMP handout photo. Another extreme attack related to the pipeline occurred in Smithers, B.C., on Oct. 26. The Canadian Press/HO, RCMP

Commentary

While the world’s eyes were on Ottawa as the standoff between the truckers’ Freedom Convoy protest and authorities hit its peak, one of the boldest acts of domestic eco-terrorism ever seen in Canada was committed against a construction camp in Northern B.C. Just after midnight on Feb. 18, 20 masked attackers armed with axes attacked staff at a Coastal GasLink (CGL) site, terrorizing workers and causing millions of dollars in damage.

When RCMP officers tried to respond from Houston, B.C., they encountered a blockaded road and were attacked with smoke bombs and fire-lit pieces of wood. One officer was injured before the police were forced to retreat. The story quickly fell off the radar of Canadians as the invocation of the Emergencies Act by the federal government dominated the news for weeks.

The attack was chillingly coordinated and to date, no arrests have been made. If the RCMP has made any progress in the investigation, they are being tight-lipped about it.

As the inquiry into the Emergencies Act began and the nation turned its attention back to Ottawa, another extreme attack occurred in Smithers, B.C. On Oct. 26, arsonists torched four RCMP vehicles and an ambulance at a motel in the town. It was clearly a targeted attack as the extra officers were staying in the area to try and maintain peace and protect the safety of workers on the Coastal Gaslink project. That attack barely made a blip among legacy media outlets. No arrests have been made.

Whether accidental or by design, these dangerous attacks against people involved with the CGL project seem to happen when a larger national issue is distracting Canadians. With the coordination and planning involved in these attacks, one is inclined to think the timing is no mistake.

That’s not to say things were peaceful between that pair of major, violent actions. Skirmishes between police and protesters have been ongoing. In July, RCMP officers were swarmed by protesters as they tried to make an arrest near a CGL site. Their vehicle was attacked and rocked until reinforcements arrived. When they finally transported their prisoner to the Houston RCMP detachment, he was released without conditions.

The protesters against the CGL project have lost all fear of authorities, which is of little wonder. For years, they have taken part in illegal blockades and actions of vandalism with virtual impunity. While protesters are regularly arrested, they rarely face charges, much less convictions. They have set up camps unimpeded throughout the CGL route and have carried out an ongoing campaign of harassment and blockading of workers. Despite the actions of the protesters, the pipeline construction has proceeded, albeit slowly. Opponents of the project are getting desperate and have been escalating their attacks.

The CGL project has the approval of all 20 indigenous bands along the right of way. Every official indigenous authority has been consulted and agreements have been made. An extreme fringe of indigenous activists supported by environmental activists from other regions refuse to accept the agreement and it’s clear they will not give up easily. It doesn’t help when public figures inspire extremists with musings about blowing up pipelines, as David Suzuki did last year.

The CGL situation is a ticking time bomb, and most Canadians don’t even realize it’s happening. If the situation isn’t brought under control soon, somebody is going to be seriously injured, if not killed. The liquid natural gas export terminal in Kitimat, B.C., is nearly complete and will need the gas delivered by the CGL line. That pipeline will not be cancelled under any circumstances and the activists opposing it are demanding nothing less than cancellation. There is little point in trying to negotiate with the activists. They are not to be reasoned with.

While Canadians navel gaze on whether it was appropriate to invoke the Emergencies Act against protesters in Ottawa or whether education workers are justified in illegally striking in Ontario, violent activists in B.C. are entrenched and emboldened by a lack of action from authorities. Will it take deaths or bombings before the nation takes this festering crisis more seriously?

Authorities need to get proactive with the standoff rather than reactive. We can’t afford to keep passively sitting back and hoping the problem will somehow take care of itself. Arrests need to be made, charges and convictions need to stick, and some people need to be incarcerated. As long as extreme environmental activists don’t face consequences for their violent actions, the violent actions will continue.

The system is failing. Workers and police are being put at risk by a government fearful of confronting extremists and it will not end well. While the government is obsessed with maintaining public order at all costs in Ottawa, it is dangerously turning a blind eye to the disorder in Northern B.C.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.