Skip to content

Montreal chapter joins student march against Energy East pipeline


Students march in Montreal on Saturday. Photo by Phil Carpenter/ Montreal Gazette

Students march in Montreal on Saturday. Photo by Phil Carpenter/ Montreal Gazette

The Montreal chapter of the Council of Canadians participated in a huge student march on Saturday against the Energy East pipeline.

Montreal chapter activist Abdul Pirani comments, “Despite being declared illegal by the police, the march in Montreal went on thanks to the police and a great crowd of close to a thousand people.”

The Montreal Gazette reports, “The protesters were part of Étudiants et Étudiantes Contre les Oléoducs, a new coalition of student associations. Their message: pipeline projects planned for the province will decimate the global environment by allowing producers in Alberta’s [tar sands] region to step up their production. They say the projects will add emissions in Quebec, and force it to default on its climate change commitments.”

The article adds, “Speaking for ECO, Anthony Garoufalis-Auger said the movement stands for the de-carbonization of Quebec. He said the government must be looking to innovate rather than allow energy companies to continue harming the environment. He said all mainstream politicians are supporting policies that will help the oil and gas industry. It’s up to students to rise up and tell them they need to think about the environment first, he said.”

350.org founder Bill McKibben tweeted, “‎Apparently the #NoEnergy East pipeline protest in Montreal was big and beautiful!”

The coalition Etudiant-e-s Contre les Oleoducs (ECO) was formed in early November with the stated intention to “block any and all pipelines at the provincial border.” The coalition has said it will support‎ ‎”all forms of non-violent action” to block pipelines. 

ECO represents almost 70,000 students in Quebec.