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Anti-pipeline protesters released from jail early

A number of anti-pipeline protesters were released from a British Columbia jail on Sunday after having served about half of their week long sentences.

In total, seven protesters were jailed on Aug. 15 after pleading guilty to contempt charges in B.C. Supreme Court.

Five of those seven were released on Sunday and they issued a joint statement, saying they were imprisoned because of their opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

They said they’re not criminals, but “political prisoners.”

A post shared by Andrew Mann (@andrewmannbc) on

Included in the seven people is anti-poverty activist and Order of Canada recipient, Jean Swanson, who spent four days at the Alouette Correctional Centre for Women in Maple Ridge.

"I don’t know how anyone can look at the sky in Vancouver today and say global warming is not an issue," said Swanson in a phone call with the Canadian Press. "We need to do something, we need to stop the insanity."

Swanson says that the pipeline ties the issues of homelessness, poverty and climate change together, claiming that those billions and billions of dollars could create jobs building renewable energy.

“Governments could end homelessness, they could put clean and safe water on Indigenous reserves.”

<who>Photo Credit: Canadian Press</who>Jean Swanson receives the Order of Canada.

The federal government announced its intent to acquire Trans Mountain from Kinder Morgan Canada back in May.

The initial quote was $5.4 billion, but recent documents filed with the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission show that it could cost as much as $1.9 billion more than that.

More than 200 activists have been arrested for demonstrations against the project since March.

With files from the Canadian Press.



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