Confederation Building protest temporary injunction in place until mid-april
FFAW lawyer says union not sure what its role will be
A court injunction handed down Wednesday, March 20, preventing protesters from blocking access to Confederation Building will be in place until at least April 15.
The case was called in St. John’s Supreme Court, with lawyer Greg Kirby there representing the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (Ffaw-unifor), who were served with the injunction.
Justice Robert Stack, who ordered the injunction and that it be served to the FFAW and others, reiterated in court that he was not saying Ffaw-unifor had organized the protest or had a role, but there could be value in providing them with the injunction.
Kirby said he understood that and asked the court to give the union some time to prepare to debate the merits of the motion, but added he wasn’t sure what the role of the union would be at the next appearance. He said the specifics of what role the union would take would be determined before the next appearance.
David Hearn, who represented the government in the appearance, told the court that two people who identified as organizers of the protest, John Efford Jr. and Jason Spingle, were served with the injunction earlier that day. Spingle is the secretary-treasurer of the FFAW.
The injunction prevents protesters from stopping anyone from entering the building or blocking nearby roads or parking lots in any way.
The order will also prevent protesters from stopping people from entering the Confederation Building “and from molesting, threatening, assaulting or intimidating the province’s servants, agents or employees.”