Members of the Wilderness Committee will appear in court on Monday to defend against a defamation lawsuit from Taseko Mines Ltd.

In the 2012 Notice of Civil Claim, Taseko Mines alleged that the Wilderness Committee had published defamatory statements in online publications encouraging members of the public to participate in the review process for the New Prosperity Mine.

The claim states that in a post on the Wilderness Committee website called “Save Fish Lake (Again!)” the author suggests the mine proposal is “crazy” and “will turn Fish Lake and Little Fish Lake into a toxic tailings pond.”

Taseko alleges the comments are defamatory because they suggest the company “is environmentally irresponsible” and “is a poor corporate citizen.”

The Wilderness Committee maintains that the lawsuit is an attempt to put a chill on growing opposition to the project, which risks harming Fish Lake in Tsilhqot’in Nation territory.

Wilderness Committee National Campaign Director Joe Foy wrote the post at the centre of the lawsuit. Foy said Canadians deserve the right to speak out on matters affecting the environment and the organization will defend their statements.

Union of BC Indian Chiefs grand chief Stewart Phillip and Xeni Gwet’in First Nation councillor Marilyn Baptiste will join representatives from the BC Civil Liberties Association and Ecojustice at the courthouse on Monday in solidarity with the Wilderness Committee.

A representative from Taseko Mines could not be reached for comment by air time.

The company’s proposed gold and copper mine was rejected by the federal government twice after going through the environmental assessment process.

B.C. Minister of Environment Mary Polak announced the renewal of the mine’s environmental assessment certificate Wednesday.

The New Prosperity Mine is expected to produce 70,000 tonnes of ore per day over the project’s 20-year lifespan.

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Photo: A gathering on the footsteps of the courthouse on the first day of the trail. Alexis Stoymenoff.