BCCLA giving Northern Gateway protesters tips to demonstrate legally
Posted June 13, 2014 7:40 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A ruling from the federal government on the controversial Northern Gateway pipeline project is due out any day. If it’s approved, expect a lot of people out protesting.
Some people have been preparing for the possibility of bulldozers in their communities. Many people up north have been going to seminars hosted by the BC Civil Liberties Association to learn their protesting rights.
Josh Paterson, a lawyer with the BCCLA, has been speaking at the events held over the last few months.
“You know, 99 per cent probably of protests go just fine without any problem. But sometimes, of course, there are incidents that happen and we want to make sure that everybody understands what their rights are when those kinds of incidents do take place,” he tells us.
“The important thing for us is that whatever people’s position is on particular political issues, that they really be aware of what their rights are if they do decide to go out and protest,” he adds.
Paterson says there are some things you can do to protect yourself while you express yourself, politically.
He says if you are concerned about police behavior, jot down badge numbers, and take videos and photos. Paterson says this is allowed, as long as you do not interfere or get too close while officers are doing their job.
