Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info
We are anarchists committed to anticolonial and anti-extractivist struggles across Turtle Island. We have followed the fight of Wet’suwet’en land defenders against the Coastal Gaslink Pipeline and the subsequent repression of the RCMP on their territory. We want to let the contractors and benefactors of this project know that we hold them complicit in the colonizing violence of this pipeline project. They are not safe from us on or off the territory.
Sometime in this past month, we visited the Bothar company storage yard in Calgary. After some research, we found out Bothar is the company contracted to execute the microtunnelling process (AKA drilling) under the Wedzin Kwa, the last of nine major river crossings to be completed in the Coastal GasLink pipeline.
Based on our recon, we knew this company possessed in their Calgary yard at least 3 bore cutterheads, 2 slurry mixers (for the bentonite process), 2 sets of pipe thrusters, and 2 control stations to direct the bore during microtunnelling.
With a bit of practice, and some safe internet research, we easily learned how to use a portable oxy-acetalene torch. We broke into the lot where their equipment is stored. Even with increased police patrols and a busy neighbouring lot, we were able to sabotage various pieces of equipment, including the pipe-thrusters used to place piping under river beds. The entire operation took less than an hour, and we left some major damage in our wake. Now they know we can reach them anywhere, at any time.
A large proportion of Bothar’s key equipment is supplied by the German companies Herrenkencht + Bauer. If you are located in Germany, feel free to pay them a visit. They are complicit in violating Indigenous sovereignty and destroying the hereditary territories of the Wet’suwet’en peoples.
The tactic used here is one of many being leveled against CGL.
We chose to target Bothar directly for several reasons. Foremost, because attacking the equipment of the companies involved in these projects inhibits their ability to conduct work.
Furthermore, attacking companies away from the drill site spreads out the financial and defensive costs. The cost of damaged equipment and resulting delays creates a financial disincentive to participate in the CGL project, which is already massively over budget. Equipment loss and delays may help tip the scales in our favor. If all they are defending are their investments on a single drill pad, they can lean hard on the swarms of pigs and security goons currently bearing down on the Wet’suwet’en Yintah. But defending their investments across all of Turtle Island? Best of luck to them.
Finally, striking companies at their home base demonstrates that this fight isn’t localized to Wet’suwet’en territory. The more companies targeted, the clearer our message is. The Wet’suwet’en have called for actions of solidarity and this is a reponse.
Let this be a warning to any company which seeks to cause further harm to the planet in order to profit, and to all who would violate indigenous soverignty to further capitalist interests. No matter how much surveillance, security, and police patrols they try to protect themselves with, we will always find cracks in their systems. We can reach them. We will enter their yards, we will destroy their equipment, we can use their “advances” against them. If you and your comrades feel inspired to target the industrial players on this fucked-up imperialist game board, now is the time to get out there.
— some anarchists
P.S. Want to get started but not sure how? Check out these guides for ideas
https://warriorup.noblogs.org/post/2017/12/03/a-recipe-for-nocturnal-direct-actions/
https://mtlcontreinfo.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/recon_skills-read.pdf
https://itsgoingdown.org/confidence-courage-robust-security/