Mi'kmaq Blockade, Stimulator, October 2013

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Captions by Radical Access Mapping Project
See more:
http://radicalaccessiblecommunities.wordpress.com/subtitled-videos/

[ Stimulator ] Mi'kmaq territories, in so-called
"Rexton, New Brunswick", October 17, 2013.

"...fuckin' let ___ go!!!"

[RCMP] "You alright?"
[woman] "Oh no you're not alright, you assholes!"

[ Stimulator ] At approximately 7:30 a.m.,

over 200 cops of the Royal Colonial
Mounted Police, or RCMP,

descended on a Mi'kmaq protest camp

that had been blockading
fracking exploration equipment

owned by Texas-based South Western Energy,
or SWN.

The Mi'kmaq are the original inhabitants
of this land,

and have been engaged in a struggle against SWN,

and their intent to frack their territories
for natural gas since earlier this summer.

The cops came in, guns drawn, with safety's off,

and several of them were outfitted with
camouflage and carried semi-automatic rifles.

They had surrounded the encampment

where members of the Mi'kmaq Warrior Society
were staying.

[ Mark Corbiere ] They came in through
the fire exit, the far entrance, near the highway,

with probably about 75 to 100 cops on that end.

There were shots fired at one point,

I believe one of the people in camo
was firing in the air.

[ Stimulator ] I then saw molotov cocktails
bein' lobbed at the heavily armed cops

by people hiding in the woods.

[loud intense screams ]

I was then kicked out of the conflict zone by
a senior officer, and threatened with arrest.

[cop] If you do happen to come back, sir,
I'm just saying, I'm not saying you are, but if you do,

you will be placed under arrest.

[ Stimulator ] I refused to go behind the police line,
and kept a position where I could witness the events,

and avoid arrest for as long as possible.

[cop on bullhorn] Attention! Attention!

You are prohibited from hindrance, interference,

or obstructing access to the staging area
into our facility,

or obstructing or impeding traffic.

Anyone that continues to do so will be arrested
and removed from this area by police."

[ Stimulator ] A tense standoff continued
for the next two hours.

[ Stimulator ] I could hear supporters gathering
from behind the police line in the town of Rexton.

[ Stimulator ] Mi'kmaq supporters were able
to break through the RCMP line,

and were rapidly headed in the direction
of the blockade while singing songs.

At this point I could see the police were panicking.

[ shot fired ]

The cops in camouflage moved in
on the Warrior encampment,

and another group of police formed a line
to meet the supporters,

effectively pushing me out of the conflict zone.

[ yelling from supporters and cops... ]

Scuffles between police and
supporters of the Warriors followed,

and a fierce standoff between Mi'kmaq youth
and the RCMP continued throughout the day.

The cops used pepper spray
and beanbag rounds on the crowd,

which included many underage youth.

[ hollers from the supporters ]

[young woman ] It hurts! It hurts it hurts!

[ Stimulator ] Anger at the police
was at a boiling point,

and in fear, the cops abandoned their cars
and moved to the safety of the police line.

At around 1:30 pm supporters were asked to
put down their cameras

while people set the RCMP vehicles aflame,
to the cheers of many.

Fire trucks were told to turn around
and let the cop cars burn.

The cops continued to amass behind the police line.

Cops in full riot gear, armored personnel carriers,
and dozens of snipers filled the blockade site,

but the fearlessness of the Mi'kmaq people
was unquestionable,

and they would not leave
until the RCMP invaders were gone.

Around this time, reports started coming in
that all SWN equipment had been removed.

Finally, around dusk, after arresting over 40 people,
the cops retreated and left the zone.

On Saturday, hundreds of people from all over
Turtle Island descended on the blockade site.

The corporate media were told by locals
that they were not welcome,

and were ordered to leave the area.

I stood up! I stood up and told them
to get the fuck outta here!

[ Stimulator ] As reports of solidarity actions
from around the globe came in,

people blocked Highway 11 for several hours,

signaling to the world that the resistance
against South Western Energy

will continue until all frackers are gone.

[ Captions by the Radical Access Mapping Project,
On Un-ceded Coast Salish Territories, 2013 ]