Forest Protectors in Court – Support outside

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/425005202159057

K’JIPUKTUK/HALIFAX:

Conservation groups and concerned citizens will appear before the Nova Scotia Supreme Court on Tuesday Jan 26 to defend their right to peacefully protect endangered Mainland moose habitat in Nova Scotia.

**COME SHOW SUPPORT BY PEACEFULLY GATHERING OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE (masked and in socially distanced Covid -safe groups of no more than 10) FROM NOON to 1PM ON TUESDAY

For eight weeks this fall, citizens blocked logging roads on Crown land in Digby County in order to halt the clearcutting of Mainland moose habitat. In December, WestFor, a consortium of 13 sawmills, obtained a temporary injunction and nine people were arrested for refusing to obey that injunction.

This Tuesday, January 26th, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court will hear WestFor’s application to keep their injunction in place. The injunction bars anyone from blocking any logging roads anywhere WestFor has been licensed to harvest on crown land. It also bars anyone from encouraging anyone who might encourage anyone to blockade any of these roads.

This injunction represents an extraordinary overreach on the part of a consortium of 13 mills.

Ecojustice will oppose the application. Jamie Simpson of Juniper Law is also working on the case.

While this case is about the injunction obtained by WestFor vs XRNS Association, Forest Protectors want everyone to understand that they ended up camping out on remote logging roads because of the Provincial Government’s failure to do its job.

It is the government that should be in court — again — for neglecting its legal duties to protect Species at Risk.

There are under 500 Mainland moose left in all of Nova Scotia. Instead of identifying and protecting their core habitat, this government licenses its destruction. When government breaks its promises and ignores the urgent concerns of numerous citizens, citizens have little choice but to engage in peaceful civil disobedience.

Due to COVID restrictions and safety, the Supreme Court no longer allows spectators in the court room. This is unfortunate because of the resulting lack of visible support during a difficult time.

Please wear masks even while outside, to show you are taking covid precautions, because we want everyone to be safe and so that no one is threatened with covid by-law tickets. (Stay in groups of under 10 people, spatially distanced)

JACOB FILLMORE will be there with Endangered Mainland Moose POSTCARDS for you to sign, that will be mailed to DLF Minister Derek Mombourquette.

Please always remember that Kjipuktuk (aka Halifax) is the

UNCEDED TERRITORY OF THE MI’KMAQ PEOPLE – Settlers signed Peace and Friendship Treaties that we must be sure to understand and respect.