Old-growth logging protesters block B.C.’s Highway 1, 10 arrested

A total of 10 old-growth logging protesters have been arrested after blocking access Highway 1 off ramps in Burnaby and Victoria Monday.

According to Burnaby RCMP, a demonstrator climbed onto the hood of a vehicle that had been forcibly stopped on the Willingdon off-ramp around 7:45 a.m. Mounties said three people were arrested after they refused to leave.

Around 11 a.m., six adults and one 17-year old were arrested for blocking the southbound lanes at Douglas Street and Burnside Road East in Victoria after what police describe as several hours of negotiation.

Demonstrators have a right to lawful, peaceful and safe protest, but this demonstration caused significant safety concerns for those demonstrating and for the travelling public, said Cpl. Mike Kalanj with Burnaby RCMP.

Officers with the Greater Victoria Public Safety Unit arrested seven people during a protest blocking a highway in Victoria this morning. #yyj https://t.co/EgtnMjkI0q

— Victoria Police (@vicpdcanada) January 10, 2022

A group called Save Old Growth says it will begin by blocking off-ramps multiple times per week, and the frequency and scale of their actions will escalate until all old-growth logging is stopped.

The protest campaign will begin in Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, and in the Interior near Revelstoke.

The group calls itself “a new civil resistance movement that will see ordinary people risking everything to protect the lives of their families from the effects of the corporate destruction of our world.”

At least 15 people are prepared to risk arrest, according to the group.

https://twitter.com/saveoldgrowth/status/1480598959101861889

The province announced on Nov. 2 an independent panel of scientific experts had mapped 26,000 square kilometers of old-growth forests at risk of permanent biodiversity loss.

B.C. asked First Nations to decide within 30 days whether they support the deferral of logging in those areas or if the plan required further discussion.

“The province claims they consulted with First Nations, but we don’t know who they are talking to,” said Klay Tindall, general manager of forestry operations for Lil’wat Forestry.

Related articles:

• Indigenous leaders concerned over B.C. government’s old-growth deferral process

• Despite criticism, B.C.’s old growth logging plan a good start: expert

The province says it’s working on programs to help affected forestry workers, communities, and First Nations, including skills training, bridge funding to retirement, and job creation through innovation in the industry.

However, the release from Save Old Growth shows the group’s clear discontentment with the province’s approach.