B.C. journalist awarded defamation damages following targeted protest campaign
What happened
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Richard Hewson awarded journalist Bing Chen Gao $275,000 in damages for defamatory statements published by Yun Fei Zhu.
The court ruling follows a 77-day protest campaign in 2020 where a group of up to 60 people gathered outside Gao's Surrey home.
During the protests, participants distributed pamphlets labeling Gao as a traitor and an agent of China, and played funeral music outside his residence.
Why it matters
The court's decision provides legal redress for the journalist against the targeted harassment campaign, which involved the dissemination of baseless claims regarding his professional conduct.
Context
The protesters were identified as supporters of Chinese businessman Guo Wengui, also known as Miles Guo, who co-founded the New Federal State of China with former Donald Trump advisor Steve Bannon.
Sources 3 sources
This briefing cites 2 publishers across 2 detected independent reporting streams.
- Airdrie News B.C. journalist, harassed by 'cult-like' China protest group, wins defamation payout
- Infonews B.C. journalist, harassed by ‘cult-like’ China protest group, wins defamation payout
- The Economic Times British Columbia journalist wins $275,000 defamation lawsuit after 77-day protest outside his Surrey home, he was harassed by ‘cult-like’ China protest group