Protesters, counter protesters gather in downtown Calgary after B.C. pipeline arrests

Dozens of opposing protesters gathered in front of TransCanada's Calgary headquarters on Tuesday, one day after RCMP arrested 14 people attempting to stop a natural gas pipeline being built on their traditional territory in northern B.C.

One side chanted "people over profit," while pro-oil counter protesters chanted "build that pipe."

At issue is a natural gas pipelinemeant to feed a $40 billionliquefied natural gas terminal planned for Kitimat in B.C.

• 14 arrested as RCMP break gate at Gidimt'en camp checkpoint set up to stop pipeline company access

The pipeline is meant to pass through Wet'suwet'enFirst Nationterritory that those standing against the pipeline say was never ceded through treaty.

Members of the First Nation wereasserting workers on the project could only pass if they have consent from hereditary leaders.

Calgary protests

In Calgary, Michelle Robinson said she was there not to protest the pipeline, but to rally against violence.

"We're here because obviously consent matters so when somebody says no, that is what that means," she said.

"The RCMP has violently gone into a territory and gone after peaceful people women, children and grandmothers who are not violent at all."

She said there are many First Nations people who support pipelines, but said protests like the one gathered in support of the project on Tuesday, didn't provide a space for Indigenous voices.

"They have an assumption that we are all anti-pipeline when some of us are pro-pipeline, but we are all anti-violence and I would think all Canadians can get behind that message," said Robinson, who helped organize the protest.

Counter protest

Kent Manning came down to show his support for the oil and gas industry and wanted to make sure the "bleeding-heart side" wasn't unopposed.

He says the federal government has to do more to get projects built in Canada.

"We need a prime minister that has the guts or the fortitude or the parts if I could use the phrase bring back our testicles in Ottawa so he can force this thing through," he said.

"Declare it to be in the national interest as Trump will do tonight with certain things that are happening there and get all these pipelines built, get it to market."

The pipeline to Kitimatis being built by TransCanada subsidiary Coastal GasLink. TransCanadasays it has agreements with all First Nations along the pipeline route, but theWet'suwet'en protesters say that doesn't apply to traditional territories.

• Read more articles byCBC Calgary, like us onFacebookfor updates and subscribe to ourCBC Calgary newsletterfor the day's news at a glance