Update #48 on police enforcement of injunction order in Fairy Creek Watershed

Lake Cowichan

2021-07-12 19:31 PDT

Police enforcement of the BC Supreme Court injunction order in the Fairy Creek Watershed area continued today, on July 12, 2021 in the Gordon Mainline and Braden Mainline areas.

Prior to enforcement Lake Cowichan RCMP received a complaint of protesters and approximately 10 vehicles blocking industry workers from entering the Gordon River logging road in the Honeymoon Bay area. Upon attendance police found a number of employees and protesters at the gate, with 3 individuals in locking devices attached. There are indications that a verbal argument had taken place earlier which escalated to a physical dispute. EHS was called and one male was assessed but declined to remove himself from the locking device or to be transported to hospital. Three individuals were ultimately removed from their locking devices and arrested for mischief, two of whom were minors. Lake Cowichan RCMP are investigating the physical assault and ask anyone with information to please call them.

During the course of the morning, a group of individuals on foot and one vehicle containing three individuals, were stopped at the South Access Control Point. Two individuals on foot were arrested for breaching the injunction (civil contempt of court), and one was arrested for Obstruction after refusing to leave the roadway.

While officers were arresting one of the individuals on foot, the vehicle containing three individuals broke through the access control point, lost control and drove into a ditch. The driver refused to stop, and while driving out of the ditch, struck an officer who was arresting an individual, and continued driving up Braden Mainline FSR. The police officer was medically assessed and is okay.

With the assistance of RCMP Air Services' Air 5, the vehicle was located, approached by additional officers and stopped. Three individuals were arrested, the driver and one other individual for Assaulting a Peace Officer and Obstruction, and one for Resisting Arrest and Obstruction.
Later in the day, an individual located beyond the South Access Control Point was found to be intoxicated, behaving in a hostile and belligerent manner, and refusing to leave the injunction area. The individual was arrested for Obstruction and Being Intoxicated in a Public Place.

All 10 arrested persons were processed at the Lake Cowichan RCMP Detachment or released in Port Renfrew.

We are extremely concerned with the level of violence and disregard for safety shown by these contemnors, particularly in cases where these behaviors create a serious risk of injury to our officers." Says Chief Superintendent John Brewer, Gold Commander of the RCMP Community-Industry Response Group. Assaulting an officer with a vehicle is a potentially life threatening act of violence. Peaceful protest can take place without a risk of harming others. Criminal acts of violence will not be tolerated."

Since enforcement began, the RCMP have now arrested 403 individuals; at least 27 of whom were previously arrested. Of the 403 total arrested, 298 were for breaching the injunction (civil contempt of court), 84 were for obstruction, 10 were for mischief, 2 were for breaching their release conditions, 1 for counselling to resist arrest, 1 for resist arrest, 1 being intoxicated in a public place and 4 for assaulting a police officer.

All news releases on the Fairy Creek Watershed police enforcement issued to date can be found on the Lake Cowichan RCMP Detachment website.

Released by:

BC RCMP Communication Services
Tel: 778-290-2929
Email: bcrcmp@rcmp-grc.gc.ca 
 

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