Pipeline protesters defy city-issued eviction order, say they’ll meet with officials

BURNABY, B.C. – Protesters at an anti-pipeline camp in Burnaby, B.C., say they will meet with officials to discuss safety measures, but will not comply with a city-issued eviction order.

The City of Burnaby says there are safety concerns surrounding "Camp Cloud," including a two-storey watch house and a fire that the protesters describe as sacred and ceremonial.

It issued an eviction notice on Wednesday that expired at 6 a.m. this morning.

The protesters say the city's notice was issued without adequate consideration of a recent court decision or consultation with camp residents.

Kwitsel Tatel says the protesters will not leave, nor will they extinguish their fire.

She says she will request federal intervention if need be, citing the protesters' charter right to peaceful demonstration.

The B.C. Supreme Court ruled in March that both the camp and a nearby watch house could remain in place in response to a court injunction filed by Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd., the company behind the Trans Mountain expansion project.

Demonstrators are angry over the expansion of the pipeline between Alberta and B.C. that would triple its capacity to carry bitumen destined for export.

In May, the federal government announced it would buy the pipeline in an effort to see the expansion completed.