Protesters rally at Halifax container terminal in support of Wet'suwet'en - Action News
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Nova Scotia

Protesters rally at Halifax container terminal in support of Wet'suwet'en

A crowd of about 140 people in Halifax gathered in solidarity withthe Wet'suwet'en over opposition to the construction of a gas pipeline through their traditional territory in northern B.C.

Among other things, crowd chanted, 'Block the ports. Block the rails. Put the RCMP in jail.'

In Halifax on Tuesday, the majority of the crowd gathered at the entrance near the Fairview overpass. A smaller group stoodin front of the gate to the terminal. (Jack Julian/CBC)

More than 140 protesters blockedaccess to the Cerescontainer terminal in Halifax Tuesday afternoon.

The crowd gathered in solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en over opposition to the construction of a gas pipeline through their traditional territory in northern B.C.

In recent days, small-scale protests have emerged across Canada.

In Halifax, the majority of the crowd gathered at the entrance near the Fairviewoverpass. A smaller group stoodin front of the gate to the terminal.Protesters and police were gone from the scene by 5:30 p.m. AT.

At one point, a lineup of about eight transport trucks was stuck waitingto get into the terminal. (Jack Julian/CBC)

Some protesters were hand drumming.

The crowd chanted,"Block the ports. Block the rails. Put the RCMP in jail."

Other chants included, "Where are we? Mi'kmaqi! Respect Indigenous sovereignty!" as well as, "Shut down Canada!"

Rebecca Moore, who is from Halifax and a member of the Pictou Landing First Nation,said protecting the land and water from possible contaminationis a sacred responsibility for Indigenous people.

"As a First Nations woman ... we have an inherent duty to protect this water and to protect this land. It's like a job, it's more serious than a job," she said.

KaiaBryce, a Halifax student originally from B.C., said she attended the protest to show her support.

"I feel like this is a really important demonstration that Canadians across the country are not willing to let this pass," Bryce said.

In recent days, small-scale protests supporting Wet'suwet'en have emerged across Canada. (Steve Lawrence/CBC)

The Halifax Port Authority saidit was working with CN Rail and terminal operators to minimize the impact of rail disruptions on port operations.

At one point, a longlineup of trucks was stuck waitingto get into the terminal.

Steve Cole, a driver, was stuck at the gate for a couple of hours. He said protesters filled him on why they were there.

"From what I've seen, I don't think [the protest] is a bad thing necessarily, but I also don't like seeing my work shut down, so what do you do?" he said.

Police were on scene, but were keepinga distance of about 50 metres or so from the protest. Police put out pylons to keep traffic from enteringthe port.

With files from Jack Julian