Tensions remained high at the Fairy Creek watershed logging blockades on Thursday as the RCMP made more arrests and a coalition of news organizations planned legal action against what they say is “limited access” to report on police actions.
The coalition, which includes the Canadian Association of Journalists, said it plans to file a legal application seeking the B.C. Supreme Court’s assistance to allow journalists “substantive access” to cover the arrests for civil contempt and demonstrations against old-growth logging in contested areas near Port Renfrew.
Police have set up exclusion zones for protesters and media since enforcing a Supreme Court injunction on behalf of Teal-Jones Group on May 17. RCMP then changed strategies and said they would “escort” media into certain areas.
However, there were reports that two journalists, a documentary filmmaker and Indigenous media representative, were arrested. The CAJ said there have been several cases where media has not been allowed to witness arrests because the RCMP are using broad exclusion zones and, in some cases, refusing entry to media.
“Over the past week, we’ve repeatedly seen the RCMP shift the goalposts on how it plans to allow journalists access in order to cover this important public interest story,” said Brent Jolly, CAJ president.
“Every day is a new day with new excuses from the RCMP about why access is limited. Enough is enough.”
RCMP spokesman Cpl. Chris Manseau said police are aware of the media coalition’s concerns in a letter received from the group and that “a response is forthcoming.”
RCMP officers with climbing expertise and specialized equipment removed three protesters from suspended platforms — some as high as 45 metres — on Wednesday and Thursday in the Caycuse area.
Manseau said more protesters could have suspended themselves in other trees “further up the road, but at this point we are unaware” of any more.
Manseau said six people had been arrested for breaching an injuction on Thursday, which was significantly fewer than in previous days.
On Wednesday, enforcing the B.C. Supreme Court injunction order, RCMP arrested 10 people for civil contempt of court and one for obstruction.
On Tuesday, 58 were taken into custody — 48 for breaching the injunction and 10 for obstruction. That was the highest number of any day since the injunction was enforced.
The RCMP have arrested 133 people, saying at least nine of those had been previously arrested.
