RCMP union responds to Fairy Creek decision, says officers 'embodied the thin blue line'
Just hours after a B.C. Supreme Court judge ended an injunction against old-growth logging protesters on Vancouver Island, saying the actions of the RCMP at the protest site put the court’s reputation at risk, the union representing the Mounties says it’s proud of the actions of its officers at Fairy Creek.
On Tuesday, Justice Douglas Thompson denied forestry company Teal Cedar Products Ltd. an extension to its injunction barring protesters from blocking forestry work in the Fairy Creek area, north of Port Renfrew, B.C.
The decision effectively ended the injunction Tuesday afternoon, after more than four months of arrests and accusations of violence between the RCMP and the blockaders.
In his decision, Thompson wrote that the RCMP’s enforcement efforts “led to serious and substantial infringement of civil liberties.”
The judge chastised those Mounties who removed their nametags and adorned their uniforms with the controversial “thin blue line” patch, a symbol that is banned under official RCMP policy.
“All of this has been done in the name of enforcing this court’s order, adding to the already substantial risk to the court’s reputation whenever an injunction pulls the court into this type of dispute between citizens and the government,” the judge wrote.
National Police Federation president Brian Sauvé doubled down on the "thin blue line" imagery in a statement on the court’s decision Wednesday.
“We are very proud of our members’ professional, thoughtful and patient approach to enforcing the expired Fairy Creek injunction in the face of exceptional challenges, including repeated and aggressive physical, racial, and personal taunts and threats by some of the protesters,” Sauvé said.
“In many circumstances and on many occasions over the last 133 days, they have embodied the thin blue line between order and chaos,” he added.
The union boss thanked the Mounties for their service at Fairy Creek and wished them “a relaxing and peaceful time at home with their families after so much time away.”
More than 1,100 people have been arrested since enforcement of the injunction began in May, including more than 100 people who have been arrested more than once.
Protesters have been camped out in the area for over a year to defend what they say is the last unprotected old-growth forest on southern Vancouver Island.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Teal Cedar said in a statement it is reviewing the decision and will consider its options, adding that its work in the area “is important and responsible, vital to sustaining hundreds of jobs in the province and producing products we all rely on every day.”
Lawyer Phil Dwyer, who represented several members of the Rainforest Flying Squad protest group, called the decision a “huge victory.”
“This is a very significant decision,” Dwyer said. “It's really hard to say right now what's going to happen on the ground out there.”
During the court hearings, a lawyer for the Mounties said police were being tasked with enforcing a court injunction under increasingly difficult circumstances.
Thompson's ruling says the RCMP acted with “reasonable force” during much of the injunction period, but some video evidence presented during the hearings showed “disquieting lapses in reasonable crowd control.”
“One series of images shows a police officer repeatedly pulling COVID masks off protesters' faces while pepper spray was about to be employed,” he wrote. “Another shows a police officer grabbing a guitar from a protester and flinging it to the ground, where another officer stomped on it and kicked what was left of it to the side of the road.”
B.C. Premier John Horgan called the situation at Fairy Creek “intractable” during an unrelated news conference before the court decision was announced Tuesday.
“Is this an intractable problem? Yes it is,” Horgan said. “Does it frustrate me? Every single day. But I think the majority of British Columbians understand that if we are going to make progress on difficult issues, we have to do it together.”
B.C. Attorney General David Eby's office said Wednesday it was reviewing the court's decision. "As there is a possibility of an appeal by any of the parties involved, we cannot comment further at this time," the ministry said.
In June, the B.C. government approved a request from three Vancouver Island First Nations and deferred logging in about 2,000 hectares of old-growth forest in the Fairy Creek and central Walbran areas for two years.
Activists say the deferrals fall short of protecting what remains of B.C.’s old-growth forests.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.