News Bytes

A photojournalist and The Narwhal media outlet are suing the RCMP over her arrest and three-night detention while covering the Wet’suwet’en pipeline standoff in November, 2021, with the plaintiffs saying they want to stop Mounties from further alleged breaches of reporters’ Charter rights at contentious demonstrations. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-photojournalist-suing-over-arrest-covering-wetsuweten-pipeline/

Elise Gravel knew her book Pink, Blue, and You! was going to be challenged in the U.S. as soon as it was published.

Freedom to Read Week is an annual event that encourages Canadians to reflect on, and reaffirm, their commitment to intellectual freedom – a right that is guaranteed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The freedom to read is foundational to independent thought, the pursuit of knowledge, and to democratic principles Listed under “February Proclamations”: …

Read more

“If I weren’t living through it, I wouldn’t believe it’s happening,” one parent, who has worked as a substitute teacher, said. https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-south/why-some-florida-schools-are-removing-books-from-their-libraries

Parents in a U.S. town have asked their local library to take a Quebec author’s children’s book about sexual and gender diversity off the shelves, and that author says she’s worried that a climate of intolerance is contributing to the censorship and marginalization of LGBTQ realities. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/children-book-gender-sex-library-quebec-1.6733566

Supporters of an inclusive reading event in Coquitlam, B.C., on Saturday were the latest to shout down a small group of protesters who have been targeting the events. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/drag-queen-story-hour-coquitlam-protest-1.6714583

PEN America has identified the 50 books that were most frequently challenged or banned in the 2021–22 school year. CBS News briefly profiles each book (and links to PEN America’s report): https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-50-most-banned-books-in-america/

Canadian writers, publishers and literary figures have doubled down on the right to freedom of thought and expression following the August 12 attack on award-winning author Salman Rushdie. https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/canadian-literary-reaction-salman-rushdie-attack-1.6550670