The Crown will proceed with criminal charges against 15 of 27 protesters arrested last fall near a Coastal GasLink (CGL) pipeline worksite in the Houston area.
Prosecutor Trevor Shaw told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Marguerite Church on June 1, that the BC Prosecution Service (BCPS) would be charging the 15 with criminal contempt for breaching the Courtsa国际传媒檚 2019 injunction by participating in blockades and other anti-pipeline activities between September and November 2021.
Among the 15 is the Likhtssa国际传媒檃misyu Clansa国际传媒檚 Chief Dstasa国际传媒檋yl (Adam Gagnon), who was arrested Oct. 27, 2021 and charged with theft over $5,000 for allegedly decommissioning Coastal GasLink equipment while serving an eviction notice to company employees.
Not among the 15 was Sleysa国际传媒檇o (Molly Wickham), who has been at the forefront of the opposition to the natural gas pipeline crossing Wetsa国际传媒檚uwetsa国际传媒檈n territory in general and, in particular, drilling under the Wedzin Kwa (Morice River).
Shaw said with respect to 10 of those not charged, prosecutors need another four weeks for review, which sa国际传媒渨ill focus on the defendantssa国际传媒� knowledge of the terms of the injunction, taking into account the way that those terms may have been communicated to them.sa国际传媒�
The Crown will not proceed with criminal charges against two individuals, Alexis Koome and Jay Myers, who were arrested Nov. 29 for blocking the road to the worksite.
sa国际传媒淲hile these last two individuals were involved in conduct that potentially infringed the injunction, there is insufficient evidence of their awareness of its terms sa国际传媒� required for a substantial likelihood of conviction,sa国际传媒� Shaw said.
In a Facebook post May 29, the Gidimsa国际传媒檛en Checkpoint said CGL had asked for the criminal charges.
sa国际传媒淐GL has asked for the Attorney General to intervene and pursue criminal contempt charges against our land defenders for upholding Wetsa国际传媒檚uwetsa国际传媒檈n law,sa国际传媒� the post stated. sa国际传媒淭he colonial courts want to criminalize us for enacting our sovereign right to defend our sacred headwaters, Wedzin Kwa, and all clean drinking water for everyone downstream.sa国际传媒�
In a statement posted to its website late yesterday (June 1), the company did not confirm it had asked for the prosecution but said it agrees with the decision.
sa国际传媒淎t Coastal GasLink the safety of our workforce, their families and the Indigenous and local communities is our number one priority, therefore we agree with the decision from the Crown to pursue criminal charges and hold the contemnors accountable for their actions.sa国际传媒�
CGL went on to say they have endured an escalating pattern of disruptive actions since December 2018 culminating in February with what the company describes as a sa国际传媒渧iolent attack (February 17) on our workers by a group of masked, axe-wielding assailants at the Morice River Drill site.sa国际传媒�
No one was arrested in that incident and it is not related to the June 1 hearing. Cpl. Madonna Sauderson, a spokesperson for RCMP in northern B.C., said June 2, the investigation is ongoing.
In court documents provided by Daniel McLaughlin, communications counsel for the BCPS, the Crown said the proceeding June 1 was related to an invitation by the Supreme Court to consider criminal contempt charges.
sa国际传媒淪ince receiving the invitation, the BCPS has worked closely with the RCMP to obtain investigative material and has considered correspondence from (Frances) Mahon, counsel for a number of the defendants, dated May 27, 2022, and from the BC Union of Indian Chiefs dated April 14, 2022,sa国际传媒� it said. sa国际传媒淐rown Counsel have applied both the evidentiary and public interest tests found in our civil disobedience .sa国际传媒�
This is the first time the Crown has decided to pursue criminal charges since police started enforcing the court injunction in February 2020.
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