Reporter named in Muskrat Falls court order says it sets dangerous precedent
GOOSE BAY, N.L. — A journalist who has been ordered to appear in court over his presence at the Muskrat Falls protests says he was reporting, not protesting — and his case could set a dangerous precedent for reporters covering similar events across the country.
Justin Brake of the online publication The Independent followed protesters when they broke through a gate at the site of the multibillion-dollar hydroelectric project in Labrador last weekend.
The action violated a court injunction against the protesters and Brake, along with several of the protesters, was named in a court order and ordered to appear in Supreme Court in Goose Bay, N.L., on Tuesday.
Brake, who has been on the ground covering the concerns of local residents and indigenous groups since mid-September, said reporters shouldn’t have to worry about facing legal action for doing their jobs.