Several protesters were arrested earlier this week, say police, for blocking a logging operation in B.C.’s Interior.
According to the RCMP, 17 people were arrested on Tuesday for violating a court-ordered injunction in the area known as Salisbury Creek, near the small community of Argenta in the Kootenays.
Argenta is located on the northeastern shores of Kootenay Lake, and is around 120 km north of Creston.
And on the group’s Facebook page, it claims more than 30 RCMP officers were on scene making the arrests.
Police say the injunction was granted to Cooper Creek Cedar Ltd., on Aug. 27, 2019, so it could conduct logging operations in the Salisbury Creek area.
The RCMP said the order prevents anyone from physically preventing or interfering with Cooper Creek Cedar logging operations in and around Salisbury Creek.
Last month, on April 25, police say they were notified of protesters blocking Salisbury Creek Forest Service Road, around 50 km north of Kaslo.
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“A police officer from the Kaslo RCMP detachment attended to advise the group they were in breach of the injunction, a copy of which was provided,” said the RCMP.
“The officer attended to the site on the two subsequent days to advise the group they would face arrest for mischief and contempt of court if they continued to blockade.”
Police added that members of a liaison team tried getting the protesters to peacefully leave during the first week of May.
And on May 17, police enforced the injunction, “resulting in the arrest of 17 individuals for civil contempt of court, one of whom was removed from a locking device.”
RCMP said of the 17 arrested, eight were released on conditions with a court date for July 19, while the remaining nine were transported to Kaslo for processing. Police say those nine have since been released.
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