By Tom Sandborn

Published October 20, 2012 12:10 pm |

Declaring "B.C.'s coastline is not for sale," thousands of demonstrators pledged to take what the online statement they have signed calls "bold action" are expected to gather at the legislature building in Victoria on Monday, according to organizers at Defend Our Coast.

The demonstrators are opposed to planned pipelines bringing diluted bitumen from the Alberta tar sands to be shipped by tanker to Asian markets, plans they believe will expose both land and marine environments and species to unacceptable risks.

Some of the attendees are expected to join what organizers claim will be "the potentially largest act of peaceful civil disobedience on the climate issue that Canada has ever seen." Others will support the civil disobedience by attending a legal rally on the legislature lawn prior to the planned sit in. (Full disclosure: The author intends to be at the legislature on Monday as a participant and observer, and has signed the online pledge.)

Two days later on Wednesday, Oct. 24, follow up actions in support of the Victoria civil disobedience are being planned outside MLA's offices in over 50 B.C. communities.

Defend Our Coast has been endorsed by what its webpage calls "leaders from the business, First Nations, environmental, labour, academic, medical and artistic communities across Canada," ranging from David Suzuki to Pamela Anderson, from Jackie Thomas, Chief of the Saik'uz First Nation to the Council of Canadians' Maude Barlow.

Tom Sandborn covers labour and health policy beats for the Tyee. He welcomes feedback and story tips at tos@infinet.net.