A woman blocking a contractor from getting to work on the Coastal GasLink pipeline south of Houston was arrested Wednesday, but released without charges.
Houston RCMP say they were conducting routine patrols along the Morice River Forest Service Road corridor when they came across a sub-contractor work vehicle that was being prevented from travelling the road by three protestors.
Officers asked the protestors to allow the vehicle to proceed to work. Despite these requests, one woman directing the action refused to comply and was arrested for breaching the BC Supreme Court-ordered injunction against persons interfering with the Coastal GasLink (CGL) project.
The 29-year-old woman was processed at the Houston RCMP detachment, and transported to Smithers RCMP detachment to appear before court the following day.
Coastal Gas Link were in contact with the RCMP and, after reviewing the incident, said they had inadvertently not followed an agreement that they had made with the protestor regarding access. Given this information, the RCMP exercised discretion and released the protestor immediately with the understanding that the matter would be resolved between the parties.
The RCMP would like to remind those who are involved in ongoing protests that police are an impartial party and are there to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
Demonstrators have a right to lawful, peaceful and safe protest and companies have a right to complete their work. The RCMP is working hard to ensure that these rights are protected for everyone and that all parties, contractors, the public, and their properties are kept safe.