Protestor that was Assaulted Says She Will Sue
9/20/99
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Title: Elaho protester says she'll sue
Source: The Province
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: September 20, 1999
Byline: Jack Keating, Staff Reporter
A Vancouver woman who says she was robbed of her video camera and
physically assaulted by a group of loggers last week plans to sue
International Forest Products Ltd.
"I'm filing a civil lawsuit against the company because they need to
be held accountable for their employees' behaviour," Sharai Mustatia
said yesterday.
Mustatia and seven protesters say they were attacked by as many as
100 Interfor-employed loggers in the Elaho Valley north of Squamish
last Wednesday.
Mustatia and fellow protesters James Jamieson and Bryce Gilroy-Scott
required hospital treatment.
The attack on the protesters' Elaho Valley camp also allegedly caused
at least $50,000 damage to equipment -- including a $6,000 satellite
phone and video cameras, as well as cars, camping gear and other
personal belongings.
"They just burned the entire camp right down," said Mustatia, who
suffered neck and leg injuries and said she was threatened with rape.
"I'm really terrified."
About 50 supporters of the Forest Action Network and the People's
Action for Threatened Habitat attended a "conflict-resolution
workshop" yesterday outside the Shaughnessy home of William Sauder,
chairman and chief executive officer of Interfor.
"We're holding [Sauder] directly responsible for the violence that
has occurred in the Elaho last week by industry workers on company
time," said the FAN's Jarah West. "This was an organized assault. It
was planned over [company] radios."
Members of the camp said the loggers arrived in 62 vehicles, many of
which bore Interfor logos.
West, a conservation-biology student at the University of B.C., said:
"Interfor is delivering thugs to the Elaho Valley. All of our
equipment was smashed or burned and the only one arrested that day
was a peaceful protester."
Jamieson, a Western Canada Wilderness Committee worker, said he
suffered a severely sprained left hand and rib and kidney injuries in
the attack. "We [WCWC] will probably be launching a civil suit of our
own," he said.
Sauder was not available for comment yesterday but Interfor lawyer
William McNaughton said earlier that "violent activities are not
authorized by my client."
On Friday, a B.C. Supreme Court judge expanded an exclusion zone
intended to keep protesters away from logging and road-building
crews.