Fairy Creek: Forest defenders take back Waterfall Camp

At about 5:30 this morning, forest defenders near Waterfall Camp executed an action that had been planned for weeks.

A small group of blockaders bushwhacked down the hill and recovered a completed tripod they had earlier stashed from the bushes. Running with three 20 foot lengths of wood on their backs, they picked a spot on the road right after the turn off to Waterfall Camp. They knew they had a narrow window of opportunity and worked quickly to get the tripod set up before police arrived. It broke twice before they succeeded.

One defender recounted, “Third time’s a charm. We hoisted her up there right as the cops arrived. Like, literally a 10 or 20 second thing. It was in [r]ight in the nick of time.”

An RCMP officer driving a canopied ATV attempted to drive under the tripod before forest defenders advised him of how much danger he was putting the tripod sitter in. An RCMP pickup showed up just as the sitter got onto the top.

Once the tripod was erected and occupied, more than 30 defenders came out of the bushes and surprised the RCMP positioned right at Waterfall Camp. Walking past the police barricade, they set up a log contraption with a hole through the centre for a defender to lock into called a “Carebear” immediately behind the last RMCP vehicle, trapping the vehicles and a few officers behind an arbitrary line of our own.

Once the officers realized they were trapped, they began negotiating with us. We allowed one of their vehicles to drive some of the distance back down the road and a few of their officers to bring food and water up to their trapped colleagues in exchange for the release of our first arrest for the day, a support person who was arrested without warning for simply providing water to a tripod sitter.

As of this writing, there is still a police vehicle trapped behind our barricades up at Waterfall.

The BC NDP is spending untold sums of money on enforcing this injunction. Helicopters are circling every day for much of the day. Upwards of 40 officers are sent to every enforcement. Specialized extraction tools. For what? To allow another company to destroy the land and make heat waves, climate change, and the current mass extinction more severe? For an industry that not only doesn’t make BC money, but COSTS us? The BC NDP gives $365,000,000 on average to the forestry industry every year.

Meanwhile, the Town of Lytton has burned to the ground. The NDP has not given a cent in relief money. Many First Nations around Canada don’t have clean drinking water RIGHT NOW. Almost 500 people have died from the heat wave. Why is this enforcement what the NDP chooses to spend our tax money on? Where is our climate resilience? Where is our climate justice?

We can stop this, but we need your help.

Numbers have gotten low due to a misunderstanding about reducing our presence. The need to have a strong presence at camps could not be more urgent. If you don’t join us in person this week, we may lose HQ. Police have been scoping the place out and commenting on how low numbers are. We love you, and thanks for everything you’ve done.

Come to camp.

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WANT TO GET INVOLVED?

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COME TO CAMP!

Join us at Fairy Creek (Ada’itsx) HQ!! Please arrive prepared to self-sufficiently camp overnight. Arrestees and non-arrestees are needed DAILY.

Read our pre-arrival info sheet: http://bit.ly/FCBarrivalinfo

Worried about getting arrested? Here’s some educational information: http://bit.ly/FCBarrestee

DRIVING?

Get here: https://bit.ly/FCBnavigation

NEED A RIDE?

HELP OUT!

Backcountry hikers/campers, climbers, tradesmen, kitchen, visitor services, logistics, you name it, we need it! Come prepared to wield your unique skillset & creativity for the betterment of the movement. It is up to YOU to figure out where and how you can be most useful. Get up in it! Visit different camps! Meet people! Ask around!! Find gaps!!!

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CAN’T MAKE IT HERE?

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REMOTE POSITIONS OPEN NOW!

Communications, social media management, research, fundraising, content creation, graphic design, video editing, writing, outreach, admin, legal, strategy, local organization, the list goes on. Got skills? Got heart? We’d love your help!

Fill out our intake form now: https://bit.ly/FCBintake

DONATE!

-Support for supplies and legal fees:

-Current list of supplies & physical donations required:

JOIN A LOCAL EVENT!

Check with your local Extinction Rebellion, Fridays for Future, or any other activist group focused on protecting our future and Indigenous sovereignty. If there aren’t any in your area, rally a few friends and start your own!

Check this page: http://bit.ly/LS4Fevents

CALL YOUR MLA EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

Find your MLA’s number here: https://bit.ly/MLAEveryDay

GOT HEALING/THERAPY SKILLS?

We are developing a network of health practitioners to help forest defenders both on and off site. If you are willing to offer healing help, sign up here: http://bit.ly/FCBtherapy

SIGN PETITIONS & MEET YOUR MLA!

-Link to all ancient forest petitions:

-Stand.earth MLA Action Toolkit