Campbell River, BC — Following is a statement from Brian Sauvé, President of the National Police Federation, regarding a protest in Campbell River on Friday, July 8.
“On Friday, July 8, during a protest to mark the first anniversary of the death of a B.C. man after he killed a Police Service Dog and injured a police officer, a number of individuals blocked traffic, hurled profanity-laden insults at RCMP Members within clear earshot of children and families, vandalized public property and aggressively taunted the police.
We believe the participants’ targeted and incessant harassment was designed to elicit a negative response from our Members solely to fuel the protestors’ own narrative and social media feeds. This intentional goading behaviour not only disrespects a day of mourning and remembrance for the community and our Members, it has also caused damage and concern for local residents.
Our Members understand and respect the right to peacefully protest, but also have a duty to ensure any unsafe or illegal behaviour is addressed.
We take this opportunity to thank our Members for their professionalism and decorum in the face of these very challenging conditions and know they also have the support of the community of Campbell River.”
About the National Police Federation:
The National Police Federation (NPF) was certified to represent ~20,000 RCMP Members serving across Canada and internationally in the summer of 2019. The NPF is the largest police labour relations organization in Canada; the second largest in North America and is the first independent national association to represent RCMP Members.
The NPF is focused on improving public safety in Canada by increasing resources, equipment, training, and other supports for our Members who have been under-funded for far too long. Better resourcing and supports for the RCMP will enhance community safety and livability in the communities we serve, large and small, across Canada.
For more information: https://npf-fpn.com/
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Media contact:
Fabrice de Dongo
Manager, Media Relations
[email protected]
(647) 274-7118