Canada: CFWIJ In Solidarity With Photojournalist Amber Bracken And The Narwhal Suing The RCMP

Location: Canada, Vancouver
Date: February 13, 2023

Photo Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Canadian environmental publication The Narwhal has announced its intentions to take legal action against the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), for the wrongful arrest of photojournalist Amber Bracken while on the job. The Coalition For Women In Journalism fully supports Narwhal and Bracken’s decision to seek justice. 

On Monday, February 13, The Narwhal declared it was suing the RCMP for compensation for award-winning photojournalist Amber Bracken’s unlawful arrest, wrongful detention and a violation of her constitutional rights.

The claim filed in the B.C.Supreme Court on Monday argues that Bracken did not breach the injunction which does not apply to journalists working in the field. Furthermore, the RCMP were notified that she was a member of the media before, during and after her arrest. 

“As a journalist, I never wanted to be the story. But the police took that decision for me when they finally made it impossible for me to do my job,”  said Bracken. “That day I stood my ground to report. Today we are standing up to hopefully prevent such an arrest and the resulting chill on reporting from ever happening again.”

On November 19, 2021, Bracken, who has previously worked with The Guardian and as freelancer for The Canadian Press, was arrested by the RCMP while reporting for The Narwhal from Wet’suwet’en territory in northwestern British Columbia. Bracken was on assignment reporting on a demonstration against the controversial construction of a 670 kilometer gas pipeline through traditional territory without the hereditary chiefs' consent.

The Narwhal editors had previously notified police that Bracken was going to report in the area. The photojournalist was equipped with a letter of assignment and identification tags on her cameras. Nonetheless, police arrested Bracken along with dozens of protestors. She was detained for three days before being released. Her arrest is viewed as part of a troubling pattern of RCMP's breach of press freedom. 

Following the arrest, Bracken kept waiting for the police to realize their wrongdoing as her role as a journalist is to document events and not to create inconvenient trouble. However, she was treated as a criminal and with blatant disregard of her Charter rights. 

Bracken described the feeling of the arrest as a kidnapping as a result of being taken so abruptly from her life and from her work. Bracken recalls a police dog barking and whining as officers broke in the door with an ax and then a chainsaw to arrest the people inside. At that moment, Bracken  was both trembling and absolutely rooted in place. "I was determined not to let this moment go unreported,” she said.

The lawsuit, if successful, could have significant connotations for Canadian journalists reporting in areas where police try to limit both public and media access. It would clear the way for journalists in Canada to report without police interference. Violations on press freedom by police have substantial impact on the public’s right to information. The lawsuit also claims special and punitive damages over Bracken’s arrest.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism stands in camaraderie with esteemed photojournalist Amber Bracken. Despite efforts of law enforcement to criminalize journalism in recent years, journalism is not a crime. It is a public service and a fundamental democratic principle.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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