5 arrested after old-growth logging protesters block Vancouver Island highway

Warning: This story contains graphic video

Protesters with the group Save Old Growth blocked all northbound traffic on the Patricia Bay Highway near the BC Ferries Swartz Bay terminal on Monday morning.

Roughly 15 protesters gathered on the highway around 6 a.m., blocking the highway's northbound lanes for about an hour before RCMP arrived and partially cleared the protest, opening up one lane to vehicles.

Two protesters had chained themselves to a vehicle on the highway, while another was chained to a barrel filled with concrete and metal.

The highway disruptions lasted until about 11:20 a.m., according to RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Alex Bérubé.

Five people involved in the protest were arrested, including one man who was standing on a ladder at the site, which fell. The man was injured in the fall and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Other protesters at the scene said the man had hurt his pelvis. Police say a separate investigation into the man falling from the ladder is also underway.

Police are seen at an old-growth logging protest on the Pat Bay Highway on June 13, 2022. (CTV News)

Police with the Sidney/North Saanich RCMP detachment say they're investigating the incident.

"The protest created frustration amongst commuters who attempted to bypass this illegal blockade," said Bérubé in a statement.

"Those blockades are simply dangerous for protesters and for others," he said.

RCMP added that while they're aware of frustration from commuters, police do not condone any illegal activity taken to circumvent blockades.

Police from nearby detachments and specialized RCMP units, including an obstacles removal team, were also dispatched to the protest.

An old-growth logging protest is pictured on the Pat Bay Highway on June 13, 2022. (CTV News)In a statement, BC Ferries said that vehicles were still making their way to its terminal and that the protest was having "little impact" on its operations Monday morning.

Last week, Save Old Growth warned it was going to "disrupt critical infrastructure in B.C." on Monday.

Another protest took place in Metro Vancouver at the George Massey Tunnel on Monday morning, which halted southbound traffic heading into the tunnel.

Save Old Growth has long called for the complete protection of old-growth forests across British Columbia.

On Thursday, Save Old Growth coordinator Zain Haq said protecting old-growth forests was a "complete-no brainer."

"Through our civil resistance efforts, we'll create political urgency for the government to represent the will of the people rather than serve the forestry lobby," said Haq in a statement Thursday.

Meanwhile, another group says it's considering launching a class-action lawsuit against Save Old Growth in its own campaign called "Clear the Road."

"Are you a tradesperson who lost work? Were you unable to tend to your store? Did merchandise being delivered spoil or fail to reach its destination, causing your business a loss?" said Tamara Meggitt, a Clear the Road organizer on Vancouver Island, in a news release Friday.

"If any of these things apply, we would like to hear from you," she said.

B.C. Forest Minister Katrine Conroy said the province is "on the right track" for managing old-growth forests in the province in a statement Monday.

"We respect the right of peaceful protest but a small group of individuals trying to disrupt other people’s lives is the wrong approach," she said.

"After decades of neglect, we are taking action to better protect our oldest and rarest forests," said Conroy. "Old-growth logging has declined 40% over the past five years.