Activist, 75, gets six more months for contempt

[dArKeR]

Vancouver — An anti-logging activist was sentenced to another six mnths in jail on Tuesday for her part in a protest on Vancouver Island this summer.

Betty Krawczyk, 75, had already been in jail for more than 100 days when she was sentenced Tuesday for contempt of court. The great-grandmother will appeal the sentence.

Ms. Krawczyk has always refused to accept probation conditions that would restrict her ability to protest against logging.

http://theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20031014.wlogg1014/BNStory/National/

[niyad]

1. go granny, go granny, go granny, go.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

2. Typical news story, completely skips informing us

of what laws she supposedly broke. Contempt of court - so what was the court order she disobeyed? Why is she supposed to accept 'conditions that would restrict her ability to protest against logging'. Why should she give up her rights?

[demdave]

3. Agreed, not enough info to even have an opinion

[dfong63]

5. that lady has guts

at her age, 6 months could be a significant chunk of her time remaining on this green earth... to sacrifice that precious time for a cause, is an awesome deed. 6 months sounds way excessive to me. the original charge against her probably wasn't worth 6 months. that judge must be a complete asshole.

[Tuf Tuf]

4. Granny

Not enough information. What's the scoop?

[classics]

6. Good for her.

Its nice to see someone with the conviction of thier beliefs at work.

[theHandpuppet]

7. Meanwhile...

... real criminals like Ken Lay have yet to spend a single night in jail. Democracy at its finest, eh?

[Atlant]

8. Americans: Guilty until proven wealthy. (NT)

[lostnfound]

9. Here's more info..

She is a brave woman -- it's not her first arrest for environmental protest.
You can hear her interview from the prison at http://media.wildernesscommittee.org/news/2003/10/593.php
She was protesting a plan by the Government of British Columbia to transfer public forest into private land status to allow Weyerhauser to log, or other companies to do what they want with it.

Her contempt of court was for violating an injunction against going into the Walbran .
"Shortly after being detained Ms. Krawczyk was given an opportunity by the RCMP to leave jail if she would sign an undertaking that stated that she would not return to the Walbran. Saying that she could not sign anything that would restrict her travel in the public forests she refused to sign. She pointed out to the authorities that because the employees of US owned Weyerhaeuser are free to travel in the public forests she, a Canadian citizen would not sign away her rights to do so." http://media.wildernesscommittee.org/news/2003/09/567.php

The place she chose for her protest is, in her words, "a watershed, incredibly beautiful old-growth forest". Weyerhauser's "needs are extremely important to the Campbell government".

She's also written a book & you can see her picture at http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=1873742&sourceid=1500000000000000040820.

[benfranklin1776]

10. Good for her. A truly courageous principled individual.

The corporados know no boundaries nor have even the remotest passing acquaintance with the concept of shame. Pillage every last forest until there is no tree standing and when great grandmothers have the temerity to call attention to their plunder of public lands the champions of iniquity have their bought and paid for lackeys in government arrest her. Would that other people of conscience come to her aid so her struggle is not in vain.

[truthisfreedom]

11. i hope she doesn't have to sleep on one of those plastic matresses with a

plastic pillow. they really suck.

[diamond14]

12. it's getting really hard for older people to keep these efforts...

can anybody tell me why there are not about 150 younger college age students standing there with this activist ????

why have younger people just decided to sit while such HUGE environmental destruction, wars, etc. swirl around them ???

I'm so old that I remember being young and active in changing the world into a better place...STANDING UP, in front of armed National Guards and environmental polluters...I have been working all day on signs and organization for the protests on October 25th in DC...haven't seen any younger people yet...and they are the potential draftees who should care the most...can anyone tell me why?