Canada: RCMP falsely accuses journalist Brandi Morin, CFWIJ condemns these intimidation tactics.

July 19, 2021, Ontario - The Canadian Association of Journalists sued the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for restricting access of the press to the Fairy Creek demonstrations. Both, the police brutality on site and the subsequent censorship has been an ongoing issue for months. In response to the lawsuit, the RCMP registered an affidavit against journalist Brandi Morin accusing her of lying about being prohibited from visiting the site despite there being video proof to the contrary.

Journalists have routinely been subjected to intimidation tactics restrictions by RCMP whenever they attempt to cover the protests of The Rainforest Flying Squad. The demonstrations are conducted by a group concerned about the environmental impact and the neo-imperial implications of logging an old-growth forest in the region. The protests started last year, and have been successful in blocking the action since. This, however, has not stopped law enforcement agencies from carrying out blatant violations of civil liberties through widespread bullying and arrest. As a result of these overreaches by RCMP the Canadian Association of Journalists criticized the broad scope of powers granted to the RCMP by authorities and have now launched legal action against the agency. The RCMP has retaliated by claiming that journalists, including Brandi Morin, are lying about their experience with dealing with the law enforcement authorities, despite there being video evidence to support the journalists’ claims.

In fact, this is not the first time Brandi Morin was targeted by the RCMP. In February of this year, the RCMP harassed and attempted to intimidate her when she visited the Unist’ot’en Healing Camp, according to her tweet. Brandi was visiting the area alongside Amber Bracken to shoot a “series”. Neither is Brandi the only journalist who has come out against the aggression of the RCMP.  On May 17, photojournalist Jen Osborne was denied access by the RCMP to Fairy Creek. The officers then redirected Jen to another entrance, a kilometer away, sending her on a wild goose chase. On June 15, she was again prevented from covering the events in the area. In a tweet, she claimed that she was denied access to ensure that the police brutality against protestors remains under wraps. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns what is clearly an attempt by the RCMP to drag out the legal battle in an effort to intimidate and exhaust the journalists who are demanding their civil liberty to practice freedom of speech and expression. The rise in violence against indigenous communities in Canada, the disregard for environmental damage caused by capitalist ideas, and the repeated instance of police brutality in order to curb coverage of these issues have become a matter of great concern. Free press is the cornerstone of a democracy. If Canadian authorities wish to imbibe democratic values within the country, it would serve them well to ensure that their journalist community is allowed to thrive without threats from their armed forces.