Jailed for Journalism: Amber & Michael Speak Out

Amber Bracken and Michael Toledano are freelance journalists who were arrested by RCMP officers on the morning of Nov. 19, 2021 while they were covering the demonstrations of Wet'suwet'en people and hereditary chiefs against the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline. 

The standoff on unceded territory was the top news story of 2020, until the pandemic hit. But since then, coverage has waned and in-depth looks have largely been left to freelancers and smaller independent news outlets that have fewer resources to fight charges in court.

If the state police lock up members of the press for doing their jobs, can we really call Canada's media a free press?

Amber Bracken and Michael Toledano join Jesse to dig into it.

Further reading: 

RCMP arrest journalists, matriarchs and land defenders following Gidimt'en eviction of Coastal GasLink, The Narwhal

Video footage shows RCMP Wet'suwet'en raid, Michael Toledano for CBC News

RCMP tracked photojournalist Amber Bracken in active investigations database, The Narwhal

Amber Bracken honoured by Canadian Association of Journalists for Wet'suwet'en coverage, (June 2020) The Narwhal

Canada's Supreme Court recognizes Wet'suwet'en law. So how is Coastal GasLink moving ahead?, National Observer

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