Edmonton freelance journalist launches lawsuit against RCMP

Edmonton freelance journalist Amber Bracken remembers the day she was arrested by RCMP.

“I can’t overstate the tension of the moment when militarized police came through the door with an axe and then later a chainsaw,” explained Bracken. “The intensity of the sounds, the absolute fear of having a weapon pointed through the door.”

Bracken had been covering pipeline protests in November of 2021 in northern British Columbia when she had been arrested.

Her arrest sparked outrage across the country from free press advocates.

Bracken, along with the outlet she was working for at the time — the Narwhal — have launched a lawsuit against RCMP for wrongful arrest and charter rights violations.

“We’re looking for real consequences that interfere with journalists working and we’re looking for a real conversation about the potential to protect journalists independently in charter rights.”

Bracken says while the legal process will be long and expensive, a conversation about the rights of the press need to be had at a time when hostilities towards media have been at an all-time high.

“Without the independent witnessing of events, we can’t make good policy, we can’t make good decisions, and we can’t move forward. The freedom of the press is under attack in our day and age, and we need to re-centre and need to ask ourselves as Canadians if that’s a value that we want to see diminished.”

CityNews reached out to BC RCMP for comment, which said they are aware of the claim and will issue a statement of defense through the courts.