Copyright (c) 1997 - Ingrid A. Rimland
Here is the article, titled "Activists Blockade Yukon Highway"
On January 11, (1995) Friends of the Wolf (FOW) shut down the Alaska Highway
outside Whitehorse in the Yukon Territories. They erected a barricade using
a junked car and 50-gallon barrels set ablaze in the middle of the road.
In the first major action of this year's campaign, the group sent a strong
message to the Yukon Territorial Government: Stop the aerial wolf kill!
Planning for the action began several days earlier when an abandoned car
was donated to the campaign. The FOW snow-removal team dug the old Toyota
our of its frigid home, where it had lived motionless for the past 18 years.
Amazingly, three of the four tires held air when inflated! Activists acquired
four 50-gallon drums, chiseled their lids off and punched vent holes through
the sides; while others created the banners and signs.
At noon on the day of the action, the A Team prepared the car for towing
and filled the drums with wood, diesel gas, and other nasty petroleum products.
While towing the car to the site, a passing motorist waved them over, pointing
out that a tire on the car was flat and the rim was sparking on the highway.
The group had some moments of concern and debate since there was a lot of
diesel in the back of the truck, however, they decided to move forward.
The A Team passed a highway rest area at 1:55 pm, 5 minutes from action
time, and the B Team moved out behind them. The A Team pulled over onto
the shoulder across from a weigh station to unhook the car while B Team
dropped off flaggers with "Stop the Wolf Kill" signs to reroute
traffic and pass out flyers. "(...)
Comment: I am not sure just how "legal" it is to take over a road, reroute traffic and pass out flyers, but to mind comes the potential hazard of somebody being en route to a hospital with an emergency. I would think that it is a serious matter to "confiscate" a highway for political purposes. Any thoughts on that? Any Highway Patrol on my reader list?
"Once the car was unhooked, it was pushed into the middle of the highway.
Two weigh station officials came and advised the group that they would cause
an accident if they didn't get the car out of the way. Activists thanked
them for their concern and proceeded on. The officials soon realized that
this was not an ordinary case of a stalled vehicle and ran back to call
the cops. As soon as the car was in position (after much delay-- why does
the highway get so busy at critical moments?) activists unloaded the drums
from the truck. FOW's get-away driver then left the scene with the suspect
truck (but not before almost getting stuck in the ditch!)
At this point, chaos ensued. Two vigilant officials tried to prevent the
drums from going into the road, and managed to kick over two on the shoulder.
The other two were placed and FOW's fire safety agent ignited the contents
with flares. Not satisfied with kicking over only two drums, one of the
officials grabbed our banner and knocked over a burning drum in the middle
of the highway. The contents spilled out, and what began as a safe, contained
fire quickly became an uncontrolled mass of flame and black smoke. The highway
was ablaze!
FOW's fire safety agent was not impressed.
Having caught all the action on film and video, the Friends of the Wolf
were pleased to acknowledge the assistance of the Yukon Government officials
in the campaign to end the wolf kill. The same guy who was having so much
fun kicking over the drums, perhaps sensing the danger of being caught red-handed
on film, proceeded toward one of FOW's media agents and attempted to grab
his camera. While the photographer dropped to the ground to protect himself
and his gear from the ensuing punches and grabs, FOW's videographer approached
and the official backed off. "
Comment: I don't know about you, but to me ". . . sensing the danger of being caught red-handed on film" sounds like a not-so-veiled threat to me. Why would a law enforcement official be afraid of being caught on an animal rights activist's video?
"For some strange reason the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) could
not find any witnesses to the initial set up of the action. Perhaps knowing
that acts of mischief and assault were recorded on film and video, the station
officials thought it best to remain silent. In an act of appreciation, the
media agent decided not to press charges.
A few minutes after the initial excitement, the RCMP and media showed up,
the fire truck arrived a bit later. Traffic was being rerouted through the
weigh station while the cops tried to grasp the situation. A full media
circus was in full swing. After many stupid questions (you know the ones:
"who's in charge?", "who's responsible?", "are
you going away?"-- nobody, I don't know, and NO!) a tow truck was called
in to remove the car, and firefighters extinguished the fires. The Alaska
Highway looked like a scene of destruction and was left as slippery as an
ice rink.
While the RCMP decided whether to press any charges, the entire FOW media
crew escaped unnoticed, leaving the cops with no photos or videos to confiscate.
Potentially incriminating footage was already safely stashed prior to the
cops arrival. RCMP then "arrested" two protesters in a pathetic
attempt intimidate them into giving their names. The police pressed no charges.
In a effort to save face from FOW activists running circles around them,
Canada's finest stated to the press that the public should not worry about
us because they have intelligence files, Oooh, scary! (Is that what that
telephone repair truck sitting across the street for the past eight days
is all about?) In their statements, the RCMP made loose suggestions that
locals should "take care" of FOW activists, the RCMP also compared
masked activists to the KKK. A few days later, an activist's car was egged
and had three of its tires slashed. A threatening note was also left behind.
Comment: This entire segment is a taunt, as in ". . . what are you going to do to us?" Clearly, the RCMP and the activists are at loggerheads. What is this - just bravado on the part of the activists, or do both parties know something that you and I don't know?
This last part is, to me, the most interesting because it shows that this is not just a small local group of kids with time on their hands and mischief in their hearts. They have access to national media, and they have big money available to infiltrate and buy information:
"FOW blockaded and occupied the Alaska Highway, the only throughway
in this area, for over an hour. The story aired prominently in all the media,
going national on CBC (the FOW campaign and the wolf kill issue is a daily
story in the local press). No arrests were made and the people of the Yukon,
specifically the Yukon Territorial Government, have once again heard the
message: Stop the wolf slaughter! (...)
FOW arrived in the Yukon in early December to prepare for the third year
in this campaign. To their surprise, it was unclear if the wolf slaughter
would continue. Boldly making the first move, FOW offered a 5,000 dollar
reward for current inside information on the Department of Renewable Resources
plans to eradicate the wolves of the Aishihik. This tactic forced the government
to take a stand; within two days the Yukon government announced its plans
to continue the slaughter.
Friends of the Wolf has set up a base house in Whitehorse, population 18,000.
The wolf kill zone is approximately 4 hours away. FOW's field agents go
on recon missions to area airports every morning that flying is likely,
and the group is organizing back country forays on snowmobiles. The Cold
Mountain, Cold Rivers video team is here to document the campaign, and Lighthawk
may be here soon to lend their air support.
An international tourism boycott has started, with pressure coming from
groups and individuals from the US and Europe. And, of course, direct intervention
in the wolf kill will take place as the opportunities present themselves."
Thought for the Day:
"The rich experience of history teaches that up to now not a single class has voluntarily made way for another class."
(Joseph Stalin)