Back on April 21, I wrote a column about how some people who are protesting old-growth logging in B.C. had once again blocked Highway 1 – this time on the Ironworkers bridge.
This was one of several recent protests in which people have blocked Highway 1 as well as the intersection of Grandview and Boundary Road in Burnaby, leading to multiple arrests.
I wrote about the bridge incident because I felt it was wrong that some drivers got out of their vehicles and then dragged the protesters. You shouldn’t put hands on someone else no matter how frustrated you are with their tactics. That response crossed a line and was wrong.
Now I am writing because the old-growth protesters' tactics have now escalated to phone harassment of B.C. Minister of Forests Katrine Conroy.
Conroy said at a press conference on Wednesday that her home phone number had been given to a group of people who are now phoning her at home.
“It’s a very small group of people who are using this tactic and I don’t believe it’s a very positive tactic to use,” Conroy said. “I think that you can you get you can deal with people in a lot better way and a lot more work can be done, and I’m going to continue to do the work we’re doing because I know how incredibly important it is to most people in this province.”
I’m not against civil disobedience but harassing a woman in her home is ugly and disgusting. It was the same when protesters for the same cause showed up at John Horgan’s home in 2020 to make a “citizen’s arrest” of the premier.
These incidents have clearly crossed a line and they need to stop.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
