INTERFOR Crew Endangers Forest Protestors
8/23/99
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: INTERFOR CREW ENDANGERS PROTESTERS
Source: www.enviroweb.org/PATH
path@envirolink.org
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: August 23, 1999
PLACE: STOLEN WILDERNESS TREE SIT, Upper Elaho Valley, Squamish
INTERFOR CREW ENDANGERS PROTESTERS
RCMP REFUSE TO ORDER HALT TO BLASTING
The legal team for People's Action for Threatened Habitat and Forest
Action Network of Vancouver are filing a formal complaint with the
Attorney General and Police Complaints Department in a desperate bid
to prevent Interfor from killing people by blasting dynamite in close
proximity to protesters.
"Never in the history of peaceful protest has a company been allowed
to act with such dangerous disregard and never have police refused to
act in such life threatening situation.", says Barney Kern, PATH
spokesperson. "People are in the trees because they have the same
strong moral conscience as those who fought for workers' rights and
civil rights. These concerned citizens are asking police to cease
this violence."
Saturday, Squamish police gave permission to Interfor to let off two
blasts of dynamite within 100 metres of protesters. Interfor
employees have been ordered by Interfor to extend a road which is
demolishing the last ancient grove of 1300 year old Douglas Fir trees
in Canada.
Blasting blows head sized and larger shards of rock across a one
kilometre radius from the blast site. Workers' Compensation Board
Regional Manager Jim Hewes says their regulations are to protect
employees only and do not require the company to consider the safety
of the protesters.
Squamish RCMP Sergeant Gary Brine has implied that he is unwilling to
prosecute Interfor employees for inflicting violence on protesters who
have the right to be protected by police.
Vancouver resident Rick McCallian, the eighth person to be arrested
will be heard at the Supreme Court at 2pm, Tuesday, August 24th.
People's Action for Threatened Habitat (604) 255-4145
www.enviroweb.org/PATH
path@envirolink.org