At some point in the past two decades, protesting and civil disobedience fell out of favour. While there has always been a rebellious and anti-establishment bent to public protest, it spent more than 25 years, from the late sixties through the early 1990s, being something the cool and educated did, regardless of age.
Yet it seems like the last major act of protest in B.C. was the opposition to logging in Clayoquot Sound back in 1993. Since then, society has become more conservative, more cautious and less willing to stand and be counted at a rally. Furthermore, that trend has been accompanied with growing apathy (that's not my problem) and a jaded futility (even if it was my problem, there's nothing I can do about it).
So full marks for the Klabona Keepers, a group made up of members of the Tahltan First Nation, who have been blocking the entrance to the Red Chris mine site since last Friday. Red Chris is owned by Imperials Metals, the same company that owns the Mount Polley mine in the Central Interior. The Klabona Keepers are upset about the tailings pond breach at Mount Polley and want assurances that a similar accident won't happen at Red Chris, which is 80 kilometres south of Dease Lake and close to the headwaters of the Skikine River.
The Klabona Keepers are putting the civil into civil disobedience. As the picture on the front page of Friday's Citizen, taken from the group's Facebook page, shows, no one is armed and no physical barrier has been built on the road to the mine site. There is a pickup truck parked sideways with people siting or standing in front. It's what peaceful protest looks like.
The group is only blocking the entrance to the site. Any vehicles leaving Red Chris are free to go.
Meanwhile, Imperial Metals has responded to this act of civil disobedience in a civil way. Rather than sending lawyers into court for an injunction ordering police officers to forcibly removed the protesters, the company is being patient and considerate. A spokesman said talks are underway to address their concerns, both with Red Chris and with Mount Polley.
Smart social and political advocates know that peaceful protest, from Ghandi to Martin Luther King, is far more powerful in the long run than the short-term gain and harm that comes from violence and/or vandalism. There is no need to sabotage equipment, fight with workers and police officers, or even chain yourself to a tree or a fence. Standing alone or together and blocking the way is enough.
While it takes an emotional commitment to a cause to engage in civil disobedience, the mere act of peaceful protest reduces the negative and contagious emotions that can transform a rally into a riot. The Klabona Keepers are not blocking the road to Red Chris to harm anything or anyone. They are there to be seen, to be heard and to have their concerns addressed.
In other words, they believe that the owners and operators of Imperial Metals, along with the staff and management of Red Chris, are just like them - reasonable people who want what's right and are willing to talk about the issues in a calm and rational way.
Best of all, the Klabona Keepers have kept the lawyers out of it. When the lawyers get involved, the threats of lawsuits and injunctions start to fly, rather than working together to answer questions and address concerns. That's where the interests of legal counsel don't always coincide with their clients. Lawyers look for legal solutions, which usually come with a hefty amount of billable hours, rather than practical, common-sense outcome that is far more likely to benefit both sides in the end.
Even when there is no middle ground to be had, as was the case with Clayoquot Sound, peaceful protest is still better, particularly for the protesters. When the cameras capture police hauling away shouting and fighting protesters, it looks like the police are just doing their job. When the same cameras show burly officers throwing passive opponents into the back of a paddy wagon, it looks like the police and the company wanting the protesters out of the way are abusing their power on law-abiding citizens.
Here's to "hell, no, we won't go" done the right way.
