Photo courtesy of Arlo Bryn-ThornAs of Tuesday, July 19th, the 17 members of the Argenta Face community and Last Stand West Kootenay group that were arrested in May, in addition to two elders that were arrested in June appeared at their court hearing in Nelson, BC.
RCMP begin removing Meghan Beatty, one of two women who chained themselves on the Salisbury FSR to protest logging on May 17, 2022. Photo: Louis BocknerAt the hearing, Cooper Creek Cedar (the Logging Company that holds the Injunction) stated that they would not be pressing Civil Contempt Charges, and instead encouraged the Crown Counsel to pursue Criminal Contempt charges. Over $25,000 worth of gear, clothing, food, medication, shelter and ceremonial objects belonging to our community members was destroyed during the mass arrest raid led by the RCMP and the C-IRG. According to Right Honourable Richard Wagner (Chief Justice of Canada), “to deny access to justice is to deny people their dignity”. We must demand better from our forest management and legal systems.
Stay tuned for more information in the coming months on the legal implications of these societal and environmental injustices in our communities.
RCMP confront people protesting the logging of the Argenta-Johnsons Landing Face at the bottom of the Salisbury FSR between the communities of Argenta and Johnsons Landing on May 17, 2022. RCMP came to enforce a 2019 injunction against anyone impeding logging and arrested 17 people, 15 of which were peacefully protesting and not blocking the roadway. Photo by Louis BocknerTAKE ACTION NOW:
1.Sign the petition from the Mt Willet Wilderness Forever organization
2. Contact our local government representatives
Murray Rankin, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation
Brittny Anderson, Member of Legislative Assembly of Canada; Nelson-Creston
Brittny.Anderson.MLA@leg.bc.ca
250.354.5944
Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (and MLA; Kootenay West)
250.387.6240
250.304.2783
Josie Osborne, Minister of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship and Minister Responsible for Fisheries
(778) 405-3094
(250) 720-4515