Altercation between loggers and activists near Vancouver Island blockade captured on video

Logging operations havestopped on a section of southernVancouver Island after analtercation broke out Tuesdaybetween forestry workers and blockaders, a flashpointin a months-long dispute over an unlogged watershed in the region.

Video of the incident, which took place near the Walbran Valley,northeast of Port Renfrew, B.C., was shared by the activist groupRainforest Flying Squad, which has maintained blockades for months to prevent old-growth trees in the area from being logged.

The footage shows forestry workers acting aggressively, using racist language and making explicit threats against the activists.

At one point, one of the forestry workers knocksa phone from a protestor's hand.

WATCH | Forestry workersconfrontanti-logging activists:

Altercation breaks out between loggers and protesters

3 years ago

Duration 0:52

Tensions rose Tuesday between the two groups on southern Vancouver Island, with the workers irate that protesters have expanded their blockades beyond the Fairy Creek watershed.

The workers were contractors working for Tree Farm License44 LP, a partnership between the Huu-ay-aht First Nation-ownedHuumis Venturesand Western Forest Products, a Vancouver-based lumber company.

It's not clear what sparked the confrontation, but activists described it as the culmination of two days of mounting tensions with the workers.

The company that contracted the workers did not offer details about the incident but said it was investigating.

John Jack, director of Huumis Ventures and a councillor for theHuu-ay-aht First Nation, said it has stopped all harvesting in the area and will bring on an independent,third-party advisor to investigate the incident.

"We're taking it very seriously," Jack said.

'We've had enough'

Protesters have set up blockades at the Fairy Creek watershedsince last summerto block Teal-Jones, a Surrey-based forestry company, from logging the old-growth forest within the company's595-square-kilometre tenure.

Activistssay the site is the last unlogged watershed on southern Vancouver Island outside of protected parks.The group is appealing an injunction granted to Teal-Jones last month to remove the blockades.

The workers in the videoappeared irate that protesters had expanded their activities beyond the Fairy Creek watershed.

"You and your fing teepees," a worker yelled.

"We have kids to feed," another said.

In a release, the Rainforest Flying Squad said 10forestry workers drove into the Walbran watchcamp, which the group said is not a blockade, at about 1 p.m. PT Tuesday.

The group allegedthe workers threatened the activists and their families prior to the recorded altercation.

Kati George-Jim, who's part of the blockade, said the day prior to the altercation, several protesters had been stopped and harassed on backroads by forestry workers brandishing axes, tire irons and crowbars.

"The people on the front lines, the people supporting themand me personally will not be intimidated by this kind of violence," George-Jim said.

Cpl. Chris Manseau with Cowichan Lake RCMP said they received a complaint about forestry workers harassing people travelling on logging roads.

Manseau saidRCMP have watched the video and are looking to speak with the protesters who were harassed.