Petition aims at filing class-action lawsuit against B.C. old-growth logging protesters

A group is aiming to file a class-action lawsuit against the group of protestors that have been causing a number of disruptions on B.C. highways.

After a warning, demonstrators would be taking direct action in targeting “critical infrastructure,” the Save Old Growth group brought traffic to a standstill on several major B.C. routes Monday morning.

This demonstration led to over a dozen arrests, many angry drivers and caught the attention of B.C.’s Public Safety Minister, who called the series of highway blockades “unacceptable.”

Tamara Meggitt is a B.C. resident with family ties to the forestry industry and says she is fed up with protestors clogging up the pavement. So, she’s started a petition called ‘ClearTheRoad’ aimed to file a class-action lawsuit against the anti-logging group.

“Enough is enough. Enough misinformation, enough of this extremism and come together with some common sense and fact-based solutions,” she said. “We’re hearing from a steady stream of emails … of people that have had huge financial impacts as a result of these blockades.”

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Meggitt points to an example of the danger demonstrators are in after one person was taken to the hospital after he fell from a 15-foot ladder during a protest staged by Save Old Growth on Vancouver Island.

However, Save Old Growth co-founder Zain Haq has told CityNews that with the dangerous rising global average temperatures, the risk of protesting on highways is a risk demonstrators are aware of.

“We’ve delayed this for too long. And now it’s time to actually do something about it,” he said. “It’s going to be painful for us, as people on the highways because we risk being run over we risk being arrested, we risk being thrown in prison, we risk being hospitalized. And that’s a risk we were prepared to take because what’s coming down the road is 100 times worse.”

B.C.’s Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said demonstrators not only potentially put themselves in danger but also compromise the safety of others.

The ‘ClearTheRoad’ petition petition started about a month ago after Meggitt says she saw a tweet about a mom trapped in traffic trying to get her son to a chemotherapy appointment.

Haq has admitted the protests are disruptive, but the real danger is global average temperatures rising and the possibility of societal collapse when children today grow up.

Meggitt argues the demonstrations are causing financial damages as construction crews and trucks are blocked in traffic, causing projects to be delayed and goods and services being delivered late.

“Right now, we’re pushing the crown to push for more drastic charges … and once we see some stronger charges, hopefully we’ll see these blockades subside and then we can look at some going forward from there,” she said.

Meggitt says she has over a thousand signatures and says the petition is still in its infancy.

Local lawyer Kyla Lee says she doesn’t think anyone would face jail time over what’s happened so far. Unless an individual were to present significant evidence, they were financially or medically damaged from these blockades.

Farnworth has said while Canadians have the right “to do lawful protest,” blocking highways is illegal.

The group said once it will be ramping up disruptions in its continued protest of old-growth logging in B.C.

The group has targeted routes like the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, the Lions Gate Bridge, and Highway 1, among others sites on the Lower Mainland and other parts of the province.

They’ve also taken their protests off the roads. Last week, two members of the group stripped half-naked and attached themselves to the goal posts at a Canada men’s national soccer game at B.C. Place.

– With files from Denise Wong. Liza Yuzda, Kurtis Doering and Mike Lloyd