Activists studying the art of protest

Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist
It takes skill and know-how to protest successfully, and Victoria is producing a bumper crop of well-trained activists.
Three events, run by different groups, offer instruction for would-be protesters in skills ranging from how to protect your communications from police to basic tree-sitting.
For Zoe Blunt, an organizer of the Wild Earth conference in [...]

Forest activist gathering draws controversy

Wild child, bad child
by Sean Holman, Public Eye Online (CFAX Radio, Victoria)
From August 25 to 31, British Columbian environmentalists will be attending Wild Earth 2008 – the movement’s tenth annual forest action training camp. The invitation to the event boasts that proposed workshops will include “conflict resolution/non-violence training.” But at least one of the [...]

Mediated meeting offered on TFL plans

But protesters still opposed to Jordan River subdivisions
Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist
The Highways Ministry’s provincial approving officer has offered to attend a mediated public meeting to hear from people opposed to Western Forest Products subdivision plans on the southwest corner of Vancouver Island.
But, so far, that has failed to appease groups calling for a full public [...]

Environmentalists’ report critical of Bear Mountain

Bill Cleverley, Times Colonist
Opponents of the Bear Mountain development hope to spur debate with the release of a hefty report chronicling the Bear Mountain resort development in Langford.
“It’s to promote public dialogue,” said Zoe Blunt, spokeswoman for the Vancouver Island Community Forest Action Network, which produced the document.
“We noticed that when we asked people for [...]