6 more arrested at old-growth logging blockades on Vancouver Island
Six more people were arrested at old-growth logging blockades on southern Vancouver Island on Monday, according to protesters and the RCMP.
The arrests occurred at an encampment near Port Renfrew, where blockaders were removed for breaching the court injunction prohibiting interference with logging activities in the Fairy Creek watershed.
Police say specially trained officers removed protesters from various locks and tripod devices. The demonstrators described some of the devices in a Facebook post confirming the arrests Tuesday.
“First we had a standard sleeping dragon – in which a person has their arm locked into a cemented hole in the ground,” said the post from the Fairy Creek Blockade group. “Police extracted this person with a backhoe and jackhammer, digging nearly 4 feet into the ground. After this was an owl’s nest – a person suspended high above the ground on a solitary post.”
The activists also describe members chaining themselves to “a giant rock over a hole” as a means to delay their removal by police.
“The extraction of these six defenders took all day with plenty more left untouched,” the group said.
The RCMP say 260 people have been arrested since enforcement of the injunction began in May.
Of those arrests, 208 were for breaching the injunction, 46 were for obstruction, four were for mischief, one was for counselling to resist arrest and one was for assaulting a police officer, according to a statement from the RCMP.
Protesters have been camped out in the Fairy Creek watershed since last summer in defense of what they describe as some of the last unprotected old-growth forest on southern Vancouver Island.
Demonstrations and blockades have continued in the region even after the provincial government granted a request from the Huu-ay-aht, Ditidaht, and Pacheedaht First Nations to postpone old-growth logging on more than 2,000 hectares of land in the Fairy Creek and central Walbran areas for the next two years.
The protesters are demanding an end to all logging in old-growth forests on southern Vancouver Island.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Suspect sought after fatal slashing in downtown Toronto
Police are searching for a suspect in a homicide investigation after a man was slashed in downtown Toronto on Sunday.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.