Last week, “Stand Down” protests were organized in front of RCMP detachments across the province to protest police tactics at the Fairy Creek anti-old-growth-logging blockades on Vancouver Island. 

Video footage shared by protesters taken Aug. 21 shows RCMP officers pepper spraying a large group of protesters at Fairy Creek. The RCMP reported approximately 30 arrests at the location.

The RCMP protests were a multi-generational event. Photo courtesy of Margaret Verschuur

CKTZ News interviewed Margaret Verschuur, a resident of both Cortes and Quadra Islands, who attended the Aug. 23 “RCMP Stand Down” demonstration in Courtney and has been to the Fairy Creek blockades several times.

"What started as concern about the ancient forests has now become a concern about democracy, which is really scary,” she said.

Verschuur reported there were about 60 people gathered in protest in front of the Comox Valley RCMP detachment in Courtenay, including Rainbow Eyes, a well-known Indigenous leader from the Fairy Creek blockades.

Verschuur spoke about multiple medical doctors attending at a similar protest in Victoria because they have seen first-hand the injuries forest defenders have sustained during arrests at Fairy Creek.

Comox Valley detachment’s Media Relations Officer Monika Terragni had agreed to email regarding the Aug. 23 protests, but CKTZ News did not receive any comments by the deadline for this article.

Tune into CKTZ's interview with Margaret Verschuur below: