Canada: CFWIJ condemns the obstructions created for journalists by the Canadian police
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August 18, 2021, Halifax- Journalists Alexa MacLean, Sarah Plowman and Zane Woodford were asked to vacate the premises of the Horseshoe Park while they were covering the eviction of citizens who had taken shelter there. According to the updates they posted on their social media platforms, members of the police kept arriving in hoards to vacate the park despite those on the location presenting no threats.
Journalist Zane Woodford took to his Twitter account to post videos of the police overreach at the Horseshoe Park where journalists were denied the right to cover the ongoing evictions. According to Woodford, the people present in the park were provided no alternate housing facilities, but were fined 300 dollars for taking shelter in the park.
I just spoke to two of the people being evicted. They were woken up at 6am and told they had an hour to leave. They haven’t been offered housing, but they have been fined $300.
— Zane Woodford (@zwoodford) August 18, 2021
When they asked where they’re supposed to go, they were told to leave the peninsula.
Journalist Alexa MacLean further added that neither she nor Sarah Plowman were allowed to completely film the process despite identifying as press and gaining approval to be present earlier. The police had earlier asked them to leave the premises at which point the journalists pointed out that they were on public property and had a right to be there. The police agreed to let them stay once they presented their press credentials, however, as soon as Plowman started to record them dismantling the crisis shelter, they threatened to arrest her for obstruction of justice.
@zwoodford , @SarahPlowmanCTV and I are were asked to leave our position. We stated we are on public property and have a duty to cover. The officer then said as long as we have our credentials we can stay. https://t.co/vbTuMgIa6q
— Alexa MacLean 🏳️🌈 (@AlexaMacLean902) August 18, 2021
Change of tune. A crisis shelter starts to be dismantled so @SarahPlowmanCTV moves to get a closer shot. HRP officers forcibly move her back. They say they’ll arrest her for obstruction if she doesn’t oblige. pic.twitter.com/ZOdxsZ9fvu
— Alexa MacLean 🏳️🌈 (@AlexaMacLean902) August 18, 2021
The police hindering the press and restricting access to important stories is fast becoming a trend in Canada. CFWIJ earlier reported on similar violations during the Fairy Creek protests.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands that the Canadian state look into the overreaches being committed by its law enforcement agencies against free press and rectify these systemic failures. Canadian citizens have the right to free press, the right to public access and the right to security networks that cannot be dismantled at will. The actions of the police at the site was condemnable and requires urgent redressal at a structural level.
