Frontline Activists Legal Network Grows in Western Canada

A recent, steady drumbeat of arrests and prosecutions of climate protesters has set off alarm bells for movements organizing in the oil-rich country of Canada.

As the country faces worsening wildfire seasons due to climate change, legal experts and partners are concerned that the rise in legal actions by the government could have a chilling effect on freedom of expression in a country where the right has historically been protected. 

Our Work

CliDef is supporting and working closely with a community-based, nonprofit legal clinic that represents climate activists who have been arrested and, in many cases, prosecuted, for nonviolent civil disobedience challenging increased build-out of fossil fuel infrastructure in western Canada. 

Pending decisions on active climate defender cases, including that of CliDef client Zain Haq, could set precedent for how the government handles future cases.