WEBVTT

00:00:00.170 --> 00:00:04.973
The Mi'kmaq territories in so called Rexton, New Brunswick. 
October 17th 2013.

00:00:10.477 --> 00:00:13.306
You allright?
- Oh no I'm not allright, you assholes!

00:00:20.957 --> 00:00:26.493
At approximately 7:30AM over 200 cops of the Royal Colonial Mountain Police, or RCMP,

00:00:26.493 --> 00:00:29.534
descended on a Mi'kmaq protest camp that have been blockading

00:00:29.534 --> 00:00:34.969
fracking exploration equipment owned by Texas based South Western Energy, or SWN.

00:00:35.509 --> 00:00:38.474
The Mi'kmaq are the original inhabitants of this land,

00:00:38.474 --> 00:00:45.147
and have been engaged in a struggle against SWN and their intent to frack their territories for natural gas since earlier this summer.

00:00:45.147 --> 00:00:52.085
The cops came in guns drawn, with safeties off, and several of them were outfitted with camouflage and carried semi-automatic rifles.

00:00:52.085 --> 00:00:56.390
They had surrounded the encampment where members of the Mi'kmaq Warriors Society were staying.

00:00:56.390 --> 00:01:05.796
They came in through the fire exit, the fire entrance near the highway, with probably about 750-100 cops on that end.

00:01:05.796 --> 00:01:12.829
There were shots fired at one point. I believe one of the people in camo was firing into the air.

00:01:13.011 --> 00:01:17.935
I then saw molotov cocktails being lobbed at heavily armed cops by people hiding in the woods.

00:01:17.945 --> 00:01:25.888
[<i>Woman Screams</i>]
YOU GUYS ARE FUCKING CRAZY!

00:01:25.888 --> 00:01:30.993
I was then kicked out of the conflict zone by a senior officer and threatened with arrest.

00:01:30.993 --> 00:01:35.552
[<i>Senior Pig:</i>] If you do happen to come back, sure I'm just saying, not saying that you are, but if you do, you will be placed under arrest.

00:01:36.331 --> 00:01:41.969
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.

00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:55.267
<i>[The RCMPigs announce they will arrest everyone]</i>

00:01:59.928 --> 00:02:03.305
<i>[Jason Okay:</i>] So guys do work for SWN.

00:02:03.305 --> 00:02:05.290
So you do work for SWN!

00:02:05.738 --> 00:02:08.530
A tense standoff continued for the next two hours.

00:02:08.530 --> 00:02:13.259
I'm gonna tell my kids, from the grave,

00:02:13.259 --> 00:02:15.001
that I stood up for their water,

00:02:15.001 --> 00:02:17.200
I stood up for you guys kids water too.

00:02:17.200 --> 00:02:18.708
All of your guys kids.

00:02:18.708 --> 00:02:22.982
I could hear supporters gathering from behind the police line in the town of Rexton.

00:02:22.982 --> 00:02:24.846
And we're not leaving.

00:02:24.846 --> 00:02:26.748
Bro, this is Mi'kmaq [land],

00:02:26.748 --> 00:02:30.243
and we have a note here, that we can be on this private land

00:02:31.203 --> 00:02:33.856
so now who's the wrong one brother?

00:02:33.856 --> 00:02:40.737
Mi'kmaq supporters were able to break through the RCMP line and were rapidly headed in the direction of the blockade, while singing songs.

00:02:40.737 --> 00:02:43.531
At this point I could see the police were panicking.

00:02:47.711 --> 00:02:53.809
The cops in camouflage moved in on the warrior encampment and another group of police formed a line to meet the supporters,

00:02:53.809 --> 00:02:56.478
effectively pushing me out of the conflict zone.

00:03:05.458 --> 00:03:08.622
Scuffles between the police and supporters of the warriors followed,

00:03:08.622 --> 00:03:13.041
and a fierce standoff between Mi'kmaq youth and the RCMP continued throughout the day.

00:03:16.166 --> 00:03:21.542
The cops used pepper spray and beanbag rounds on the crowd, which included many underage youth.

00:03:24.073 --> 00:03:27.307
Aww it hurts. It hurts.

00:03:28.505 --> 00:03:34.550
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.

00:03:34.550 --> 00:03:42.528
At around 1:30PM supporters were asked to put down their cameras, while people set the RCMP vehicles aflame, to the cheers of many.

00:03:42.528 --> 00:03:46.017
Firetrucks were told to turn around and let the cop cars burn.

00:03:46.877 --> 00:03:49.665
The cops continued to amass behind the police line.

00:03:49.665 --> 00:03:55.665
Cops in full riot-gear, armored personal carriers, and dozens of snipers, filled the blockade site.

00:03:55.665 --> 00:04:01.975
But the fearlessness of the Mi'kmaq people was unquestionable and they would not leave until the RCMP invaders were gone.

00:04:01.975 --> 00:04:06.649
Around this time reports started coming in that all SWN equipment had been removed.

00:04:06.649 --> 00:04:12.522
Finally, around dusk, after arresting over 40 people, the cops retreated and left the zone.

00:04:21.944 --> 00:04:27.263
On saturday hundreds of people from all over Turtle island descended on the blockade site.

00:04:27.263 --> 00:04:31.817
The corporate media were told by locals that they were not welcome and they were ordered to leave the area.

00:04:32.229 --> 00:04:34.093
I stood up!

00:04:34.093 --> 00:04:37.380
I stood up, and told them to get the fuck out of here.

00:04:39.757 --> 00:04:45.086
As reports of solidarity actions from around the globe came in, people blocked Highway 11 for several hours,

00:04:45.086 --> 00:04:50.524
signalling the world that resistance against South Western Energy will continue until all frackers are gone.