Documentary Reflection: Civil Disobedience and recent results.
October 30, 2023 By: Sky Freeman
Having lived in Victoria for several years now I have been aware of the Fairy Creek protests over the past few years with their actions being blockading the road access and disruption of infrastructure such as protesting on the Johnson Street bridge. These protests have been met with disdain by many, particularly from the rural areas that have a much closer relationship with the lumber industry. Having grown up in a lumber town and with family in the industry, I feel that I have a healthy respect for its necessity and its economic value. Where the issue arises isn’t with all logging as many try to spin it but the need to log these old growth forests, with their proven biodiversity and worth to forest health, do not need to be exploited when so many other areas are available. If these old growth forests were the last places worth logging after all the forest management history and vast areas of forest in our province, that should be more of a reason to not continue the unsustainable trend. Made worse is not only did the action of protestors result in small deferments for some old growth forests and ultimately the loss of all active old growth cut blocks, the prosecution of these protestors has also been eye opening. With 1100 arrests being made in relation to the protests, 464 charges were laid against 413 people with 146 charges being dropped because in the rush the RCMP didn’t even read out the entire court order fully (Egan-Elliott, 2023) along with accusations of excessive force, this enforcement does not appear like an appropriate response. This large cost associated with the police enforcement along with the civil suites that Teal Jones is now pursing against some protestors, it only seems to help illustrate how our public services are more interested in corporate interests and economic growth than environmental sustainability and morals.
When looking at the results of this civil disobedience such as at Fairy Creek and those in Australia protesting the continued interest in new fossil fuel mines and ports ahead of concerns for the environment, such as the Great Barrier Reef and climate change effects, the practice seems quite ineffective. This civil disobedience, which is not without costs in many aspects to the protestor themselves, is being met again with prosecution as well as with prison sentences and fines being increased, further detracting from these peaceful practices (Morton, 2023). After having watched the documentary “If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front” these stories have only shown how prone this stance of making civil disobedience more of a risk, while also resulting in less of a result, can radicalize people to more harmful and destructive methods to try and achieve results (Curry, 2011). While I believe civil disobedience to be the far better practice when done well, it is extremely disheartening to see corporations receive meager fines and employing expensive lobbying campaigns to turn laws to their benefit, with these costs simply being “investments” to further profits, when other options are less profitable but far more environmentally conscious.
References
Curry, Marshall. Director, writer, producer, and Sam Cullman, Co-Director, Producer. “If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front.” 2011. Marshall curry Productions, 1:25:40. https://vimeo.com/58984675
Egan-Elliott R. Court injunction against Fairy Creek protest quietly expires. Times Colonist. 2023 Sep 28 [accessed 2023 Oct 26]. https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/court-injunction-against-fairy-creek-protest-quietly-expires-7611439
Morton A. Adam Bandt urges Australians to “embrace” civil disobedience and join climate protests. The Guardian. 2023 Aug 30 [accessed 2023 Oct 27]. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/30/adam-bandt-urges-australians-to-embrace-civil-disobedience-and-join-climate-protests