This area is home to some of the last stands of old-growth forest on southern Vancouver Island. The elders have been invited by Pacheedaht Elder Bill Jones. A convoy of 30 elders is approaching an active blockade at the bottom of Braden Maine on Gordon River Road.No one is allowed to go anywhere and vehicles are being towed off-site without warning. Some media have been penned off to one side, with everyone else in another area.
About one-third have been arrested and removed, but it seems they're taking hours in between.
We are asking media to attend the Caycuse exclusion zone checkpoint, where RCMP had corralled about 3 dozen people. We also heard some protestors' tires were punctured. RCMP have told people they can go and get them, although Teal Jones may charge them for the tow. Many protestors' vehicles were towed away, some to Tiger Towing, some were left about 3 kms away. One witness said she didn't recognize any of the RCMP from any of the previous situations. Three to six people at a time were escorted out.Ībout two dozen people were removed and arrested, and we were told about 15 more were being held there and told they would be arrested imminently. Then police went in and started arresting leaders, legal observers and our police liaisons. RCMP showed people where they could peacefully protest, and everyone was in that area. Report from Rainforest Flying Squad, Caycuse, Ditidaht Territories See entry below from yesterday afternoon for more details on the convoy.Įlders attend Fairy Creek blockades, May 25 (Photo by Marnie Recker) Many were willing to risk arrest, but the RCMP let them into the exclusion zone without charge. Shown below are a couple of photos of the Elders convoy who visited 2 blockades in the Fairy Creek area yesterday. (Media had been directed to the Port Renfrew area.) Arrests were made mostly in the Caycuse area. 
It’s not totally clear how many were arrested yesterday, but it could be close to three dozen, making it the busiest day so far. Rainforest Flying Squad reported at 9:32 am that “14 police vehicles and 2 vans have left the station at Cowichan Lake.” They had also had a report that “50 or more, many unmarked police vehicles, are leaving Cowichan.
The distances, given the late notice, will make it difficult for many media to get there in time.
#Elucidate 5am track list update
Last night at 10:19 pm, Corporal Manseau wrote to say that “In order to avoid a repeat of what occurred today when an operational need to change locations occurred, I am asking that all interested media parties remain flexible, and I will commit to putting out an email update tomorrow by 8:30a.m.” At 9:26 am, he emailed that planned enforcement “will take place in the Port Renfrew area.” Media were requested to meet at 10:30 am in a parking area approximately 2kms past Port Renfrew on Pacific Marine Road to rendezvous with the media liaison officers for escort.
While at Fairy Creek, Pacheedaht Territory: 30 RCMP vehicles are at 2000 Road now. from Caycuse, Ditidaht territory: We have heard that "Keys" was taken from the tree-sit, and that RCMP plan to extract all the remaining tree-sitters today. RCMP have been forcing media to stay far away from arrests being made.įOCUS will report more on this in the coming days. The broad use of exclusion zones is questioned as it interfere’s with the media’s ability to inform the public about what is happening. We have moved this record to the Fairy Creek Rainforest Defence forumĪ coalition of media outlets and press freedom groups filed an application in BC Supreme Court today, asking a judge to order the RCMP to provide journalists with reasonable access to police enforcement actions taking place in and around Fairy Creek and Caycuse camps.
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