By Rochelle Baker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter CANADAB次元官网网址橲 NATIONAL OBSERVER

B次元官网网址婽he federal agency that holds RCMP to account has received a total of 73 public complaints associated with enforcement measures at the Fairy Creek old-growth logging blockades in British Columbia, says the legal team representing the activist group.

Counsel for the Rainforest Flying Squad (RFS) B次元官网网址� the group behind the protests B次元官网网址� received confirmation from the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) about the number of complaints received as of Monday, said lawyer Phil Dwyer.

To date, 17 complaints fall under the agencyB次元官网网址檚 mandate and will be investigated, Dwyer said Wednesday afternoon.

B次元官网网址 of the complaints comes days after videos showing RCMP using pepper spray against Fairy Creek old-growth protesters during a confrontation over the weekend surfaced on the internet.

And as a result, B.C.B次元官网网址檚 NDP government is taking fire from civil rights advocates while federal counterparts are calling for a public inquiry into police actions.

RCMP tactics and the use of force are increasingly aggressive, according to activists involved in the year-long civil disobedience movement in the Port Renfrew region, said Dwyer, who represents three RFS defendants named in the court injunction filed by Teal-Jones logging company.

The police are not using reasonable force and are reaching beyond the scope of what is required to fulfil their duties to enforce the injunction, he said, adding doing so increases the risks for everyone involved.

B次元官网网址淐onsidering what IB次元官网网址檝e seen in video and from conversations with people on the ground, itB次元官网网址檚 not surprising that this many complaints would have arisen,B次元官网网址� Dwyer said.

B次元官网网址淎nd given the fullness of time, I expect there will only be more filed.B次元官网网址�

Several online videos detail the confrontation between officers and protesters on a logging road in the region on Saturday.

In one longer video, officers can be seen setting off multiple canisters of pepper spray at close range at a huddle of protesters who had refused to disperse and had locked arms to make their arrests more difficult.

The premier and the public safety minister need to rein in the RCMP, said Veronica Martisius, staff counsel with the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA).

B次元官网网址淧olice donB次元官网网址檛 have carte blanche to do whatever they want. Their power is limited when it comes to respecting civil liberties and human rights, otherwise weB次元官网网址檇 be living in a police state.B次元官网网址�

The protests and protection of old-growth is cropping up as a hot-button issue in the federal election, with the Liberals pledging to do more to protect ancient forests, and members of the federal NDP calling for an investigation into police actions at Fairy Creek.

NDP MP Jack Harris, with the backing of Vancouver Island incumbent candidates Alistair MacGregor and Laurel Collins, called on Public Safety Minister Bill Blair to launch a full and independent investigation into RCMP actions at Fairy Creek.

The violent actions of RCMP at Fairy Creek are unacceptable and only escalate the situation, wrote MacGregor, who is running for re-election in the Cowichan-Malahat-Langford riding, on social media.

B次元官网网址淲e have written to Minister Blair calling for full federal review of the situation and police actions, and we are committed to more robust and independent civilian oversight of the RCMP,B次元官网网址� he tweeted.

On Monday, hundreds of people gathered outside RCMP detachments in Victoria and other municipalities to call for the RCMP to stand down at Fairy Creek.

RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Chris Manseau said protesters failed to follow officersB次元官网网址� directions during SaturdayB次元官网网址檚 confrontation, which he said left one officer with a concussion after he was knocked over in the scuffle.

B次元官网网址淲e really need to remember that itB次元官网网址檚 the actions of the protesters that dictate the actions of the police,B次元官网网址� Manseau said. B次元官网网址淲hen crowds are failing to follow police direction, one thing does lead to another.

B次元官网网址淚n order to gain compliance from that large crowd of people B次元官网网址� it took the use of pepper spray, and then the crowd followed police direction after that.B次元官网网址�

A lot of the video snippets online do not illustrate the full context of the situation, Manseau said.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 lots of examples of peaceful, lawful, and safe protests that are occurring, even after the incident on the weekend,B次元官网网址� he said.

Regardless of any potential public inquiry, RCMP will likely do an internal review of enforcement measures at Fairy Creek, Manseau said.