The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) severely impeded press freedoms, unjustly restricted media access, and improperly detained a journalist during a 2020 operation at Wet’suwet’en-led blockades in northern British Columbia, according to the force’s review body. Five years later, the Mounties formally apologized to complainant Ethan Cox, a senior editor at Ricochet Media, and Gitxsan reporter Jerome Turner for violating Turner’s Charter rights.
Cox welcomed the apology and lauded the review’s findings as groundbreaking, emphasizing the need for tangible actions to be taken by law enforcement officers on the ground. The letter of regret, signed by Staff Sgt. Maj. Kent MacNeill on February 19, was a pleasant surprise for Turner, who accepted the apology with the condition that such actions against journalists should never recur.
The rebuke from the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission highlighted a pattern of racist or unconstitutional behavior by the RCMP’s Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG). Recent incidents include a B.C. judge finding C-IRG guilty of violating Charter rights by making offensive remarks during a different raid in 2021. The unit was also criticized for wrongful arrest tactics at the Fairy Creek anti-logging blockades in the same year.
The complaints commission is currently conducting a systemic investigation into the unit, now known as the Critical Response Unit (CRU-BC), following a federal probe. Cox believes that the upcoming comprehensive review will further condemn the unit, possibly leading to its dissolution due to its evident bias towards protecting pipelines against Indigenous and environmental activists.
Turner, tasked with covering the Wet’suwet’en resistance to the Coastal GasLink pipeline, faced exclusion and detention by the RCMP during the 2020 operation. The commission’s final report criticized the RCMP’s use of exclusion zones as unreasonable, citing groundless threats and unjustified detention of Turner, which significantly impeded press freedom and violated his rights.
The report highlighted the RCMP’s distrustful approach towards journalists, emphasizing the need for constructive dialogue over coercive measures. The commission expressed concerns about potential suppression of press freedom and an excessive use of police powers when dealing with media personnel.
In response to the review, the RCMP commissioner agreed with the findings and pledged to take corrective action, except for a recommendation regarding a standardized policy for accrediting reporters. Turner and Cox raised concerns about this recommendation, viewing it as a potential encroachment on journalistic freedom by allowing the national police force to dictate who qualifies as a journalist.
As for the Coastal GasLink pipeline, it is currently awaiting the completion of an LNG Canada export terminal in Kitimat, British Columbia, after reaching mechanical completion.
