Arrest/criminal charge

Journalist arrested during pipeline protest in Wet’suwet’en territory

RCMP officers arrested journalist and documentary filmmaker Melissa Cox, who was covering demonstrations against the Coastal GasLink pipeline through Wet’suwet’en territory in northern British Columbia on Nov. 18, 2021.

RCMP officers arrested journalist and documentary filmmaker Melissa Cox, who was covering demonstrations against the Coastal GasLink pipeline through Wet’suwet’en territory in northern British Columbia on Nov. 18, 2021.

She was released on the same day, according to The Tyee, which reported that 15 people in total were arrested. 

In a video of the arrest, Cox can be seen filming as police officers move in to arrest people standing on a bridge. She can be heard repeating “I’m media” as two police officers grab her and pull her away from the crowd. 

After her release, Cox told Tyee reporter Amanda Follett Hosgood “that she felt police targeted her because she was holding a video camera.”