Tag Archives: Crackdown at Fairy Creek

Forests, Justice

Police officer quits task force over concerns about RCMP tactics at Fairy Creek

By Jen Osborne / Rochelle Baker, National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

At least one police officer joined protesters, journalists and politicians raising alarm bells over RCMP enforcement tactics during the peak of conflict at the Fairy Creek old-growth blockades in B.C. during the summer of 2021.

The officer, a former member of the RCMP’s specialized team that deals with resource extraction protests, resigned from the task force over concerns about “unjustifiable” police behaviour during an August crackdown on activists, a freedom-of-information (FOI) request shows.

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Forests, Justice

Fairy Creek RCMP whistleblower’s concerns reflect a pattern of questionable enforcement at industry protests

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Concerns over questionable RCMP tactics raised by an officer involved in the crackdown at the Fairy Creek old-growth blockades in the summer of 2021 are not surprising, says a lawyer representing dozens of activists.

There’s been no shortage of legal proceedings or social media videos focused on the treatment of protesters, said lawyer Karen Mirsky, who is the president of the BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA).

But it is remarkable an officer was willing to risk voicing concerns about police behaviour to superiors, Mirsky said.

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Forests, Justice

Seniors arrested as Fairy Creek blockade digs in for winter

National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A caravan of seniors wound its way along pitch-black logging roads early Thursday to be in place before first light to block old-growth logging in the Fairy Creek region on southwest Vancouver Island.

A contingent of 30 from across the island and adjacent Gulf Islands arrived at Granite Main Road at 6 a.m. to try to stall the road-building and clear-cutting of the forest giants by Teal-Jones in tree farm licence (TFL) 46 near Port Renfrew.

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Forests, Indigenous Nations

Deferring 2.6 million hectares of BC’s most at-risk old growth forests

British Columbia is considering whether to defer logging on 2.6 million hectares of the provinces most at-risk old growth forests. 

Continue reading Deferring 2.6 million hectares of BC’s most at-risk old growth forests →
Forests, Indigenous Nations, Justice

The RCMP returned to Fairy Creek

The RCMP returned to Fairy Creek last Friday, October 16. A post on the Fairy Creek Blockade Facebook page states 7 cars drove up, and 15 officers wearing blue standard-issue rain gear walked into the Forest Defender Headquarters.

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