Canada: inquiry into police unit accused of excessive force against green activists
by Leyland Cecco in Toronto from on (#69NVR)
Officers with C-IRG accused of ripping off protesters' masks and pepper-spraying them during protest in British Columbia
Canada's federal police force has opened an investigation into a controversial unit tasked with overseeing environmental protests, following hundreds of complaints that officers used excessive force, disregarded court orders and violated protesters' rights.
The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission, a watchdog arm of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said on Thursday it would examine the activities of the community-industry response group, or C-IRG, based in British Columbia.
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