Man arrested after officer allegedly hit in face at logging protest in B.C. Interior

RCMP logo shown in Edmonton, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

SALMO — Two men have been arrested after police tried to remove a small group of protesters blocking a logging road in the British Columbia Interior, with one man allegedly hitting an officer in the face during the arrest.

Salmo RCMP say the arrests happened last Friday on a forest service road near Nelway in the Kootenay region near the U.S. border, when demonstrators blocked access to a job site for local construction work.

Police say the two men were arrested after officers tried unsuccessfully to negotiate with the protesters for them to leave, and one officer was said to have been hit in the face.

A 75-year-old Nelway man was arrested for assaulting police with a weapon and obstruction, while a 37-year-old man, also from Nelway, was detained for mischief and obstruction.

Both have since been released and the investigation into the case is ongoing.

Nelway is about 675 kilometres east of Vancouver.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 206.