I am very fortunate to live in a country (Canada) which errs on the side of freedom of expression.  Here you have to be pushing decency and legality to the limit before restrictions take effect.

The balance between expressing your views openly and aggressively, whether written, oral or broad action such as a protest march or blockade is waited heavily toward freedom.

Drawing the Line

Over the last three weeks a small group of activists have clearly expressed their opposition to the Coastal Gas link pipeline in B.C.   To draw maximum attention they have blockaded the Canadian National railways (CNR) main line.

This blockade has been allowed to continue for more than three weeks even though it has been ruled unlawful and ordered to stop by court injunction.

Causing Harm

One of the principles of free expression must be avoidance of violence and in particular not allowing the innocent to be harmed. That is the deliberate infliction of injury on others.  (Self injury should be prohibited as well)

Actions which make  a statement and are constructed to gather maximum attention/awareness for your cause, by doing so in a dramatic way, is okay; harming others through your actions is not.

Act Now

Our government, although fully within their legal right to end this blockade which is causing serious impacts (from goods shortages, job losses to financial hardship) has chosen not to do so.

The harm being caused by a few who are exercising their right of open expression against the silent many gets larger every day.  A fair balance between the right to express oneself and avoiding harm to others has been exceeded, clearly so.

It’s time to shut  the blockade down.