The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has routinely intimidated journalists and restricted the access of the press from covering the protests of The Rainforest Flying Squad. The protest began against logging of an old-growth forest in the region last year, and have been successful in blocking the action since. This, however, has not stopped violations of civil liberties as armed forces carry out arbitrary arrests and bully journalists covering the proceedings.

Journalist Fabiola Santana was forced to resign from her position at TC Televisión after repeated complaints regarding the toxic workplace culture she was being forced to confront. Reportedly, Fabiola’s complaints were not taken seriously even though the matter had been ongoing since 2019.

Correspondent for Rappler, Lorraine Ecarma was restricted by the police from covering the release of human rights activist and Lumad teacher Chad Booc. She was denied entry into the police station at the time of the release, and once let inside was neither allowed to film the event nor interview Booc.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) temporarily restricted press access to the headwaters of Fairy Creek, the last unlogged old-growth valley on southern Vancouver Island. The press was present to cover the protests of The Rainforest Flying Squad, who have been protesting and successfully blocking logging of an old-growth forest in the region since last year. CFWIJ is alarmed by the RCMP’s restrictions on the press and we call on the authorities to allow journalists the necessary access to report on the events.

Investigative journalist and founder of a news website, “Yo Rechazo la Corrupción y la Impunidad”, Dianeth Perez Arreola was intimidated by state authorities for reporting on the alleged corruption of a political figure, Natalia Rivera. Dianeth was communicated to take down important revelations from her website or she could be arrested. The journalist received three letters dated March 23 and April 19 from Special prosecutor's offices in Baja California state and Sonora state. CFWIJ is damaged by the unjustified use of power by state authorities to protect the alleged corruption of a political candidate. We demand special prosecutor offices in Baja California and Sonora to revoke these letters and stop interfering in Dianeth’s journalistic work. CFWIJ stands in solidarity with the journalist and offers her full support.

Toronto Star health reporter, Theresa Boyle, shared the ordeal of her harassment case on Twitter on April 18. Two years ago, Theresa was harassed by an editor, and she reported the incident to the HR department. The news outlet did not start a proper investigation for two years despite the parent company, Torstar, having a tough-on-paper harassment policy. After a lack of response, Theresa asked the company to retain an external investigator to look into the allegations. Although the news outlet assured the journalist they would find someone she was comfortable with, they hired an investigator who practices employer-side labor law. Theresa communicated her dissatisfaction with their selection to no avail, and the investigation is now underway. CFWIJ condemns the company’s failure to address the harassment and total disregard for the journalist’s concerns.

An unnamed woman journalist was impeded at work while on assignment at the Palace of Justice. She was barred from entering the building under COVID-19 restrictions. The journalist was aware of the precautionary measures and had planned to report on the case hearing outside. She shared it happened the first time when a court president denied her entry. The journalist believes she was denied access because the court was conducting a trial on a sensitive case involving a priest accused of sexual violence. CFWIJ is dismayed by the official orders as the matter was of public interest, and the journalist must report the case.

Global Statement - CSW65

Protect Women’s Civic Freedoms to Enhance their Role in Public Life

Violence towards Asian American communities on the rise: A legacy of the Trump era continues.

Journalist Maja Sever was given a dismissal warning by her employer organization when she spoke about the misogynistic culture prevalent in the firm during an interview. She took this decision following the repeated requests she had made with her organization to address the issue but realized they fell on deaf ears.

Independent journalist Grace Jajo was barred from entering the Manipur legislative assembly without prior notice. The reason behind the decision was the critic that Grace posted on her social media. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the appalling crackdown against Grace. Journalists must freely be allowed to follow the news related to the state.

Journalist Gordana Bjeletić, editor-in-chief at Juzne Vesti, an investigative news portal in Southern Serbia, was targeted to online death threats with her editorial colleagues. Online harassment might seem harmless, yet, those initiatives could carry severe consequences. The journalists in Serbia are subjected to such attacks, impediment in the field because of the political climate.

Am 9. Oktober wurden die Bewohner von „Liebig34“, ein „anarcho-queer-feministisches“ Wohnprojekt in Berlin, nach einer umstrittenen Räumung mit rund 1.500 Polizisten vertrieben. „Liebig34“ ist eine der letzten verbliebenen linken Hausbesetzungen Berlins. Es wurde als „anarcho-queer-feministisches Wohnprojekt“ beschrieben und steht seit 30 Jahren als sicherer Ort für queere Menschen und Feministinnen.

Liebig34, an “anarcha-queer-feminist” housing project in Berlin, has been cleared of residents following a contentious eviction involving at least 3,000 police officers (with some news channels mentioning 5,000). ‘You can’t evict a movement, you can’t evict a heart!’ was one of the slogans of the protests following the ‘eviction’.